DC Studios co-chairman James Gunn has defended the DCU’s approach to interconnected storytelling, pushing back on complaints that smaller films are not doing enough to set up bigger crossover events. Gunn said he does not want movies like Clayface to exist merely to tee up the next big team-up.
Clayface arrived in theatres this week, bringing the tragic story of Matt Hagen, played by Tom Rhys Harries, to the big screen as a bloody, R-rated body horror film. Despite solid scores from critics and fans — IGN awarded it 7/10 — some DC watchers have argued that Gunn and co-chairman Peter Safran have not done enough to use smaller stories to build toward larger tie-in projects.
Clayface (Credits: IGN)
James Gunn DCU Approach: Every Story Should Stand Alone
Gunn responded directly to the debate on Threads, replying to a fan who defended the cinematic universe’s looser structure. “I couldn’t agree more,” he wrote. “DCU is just an alternate universe; we can enter at any location or time and tell THAT story. I dislike the idea that individual stories aren’t meaningful unless they lead to something else.”
That philosophy is a clear break from the old shared-universe playbook, where every solo film was expected to function as a trailer for the next crossover. Under Gunn’s model, a film like Clayface is meant to work on its own terms first — a horror story about a tragic monster — rather than as a stepping stone to something else.
Where The DCU Stands After Clayface
The DCU technically began with the animated series Creature Commandos before jumping to theatres with Superman. Since then, Peacemaker Season 2, Supergirl, Lanterns and Clayface have followed, with crossover moments kept deliberately limited so far.
Standalone Wonder Woman and Batman movies remain in the cards, while projects like The People v. Gorilla Grodd appear to be further along than most. For impatient fans waiting for a grand unified payoff, Gunn’s message is clear: the DCU will keep telling quality standalone stories first, and the crossovers will come when the stories demand them — not before.
Also Read: Clayface Ending Explained: Does Batman Appear in the DCU Movie? and Clayface Scores $3.5M Thursday Previews, Eyes $20M–$25M Opening Weekend
Source: IGN — read the full story there.