Too often, blockbuster movies fail because they were overly tweaked or outright retooled in post-production. While reshoots have always been a common part of the filmmaking process, they have now become a crutch for productions that don’t have a concrete plan in place before entering principal photography. More specifically, many comic book movies have suffered from this approach, but James Gunn’s efforts for Marvel and DC have not been affected.
According to the writer-director, who has worked on three Guardians of the Galaxy movies, a miniseries (I Am Groot), a holiday special, a Suicide Squad “sequel,” and a spinoff (Peacemaker), speaking to Threads (via Variety), the secret is simple… make sure it’s as up to par as possible before filming. Sounds simple, right? Well, it seems not everyone can or wants to figure that out.
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The filmmaker, who is currently busy with post-production on Peacemaker Season 2 and his upcoming DC sequel Superman, simply said that I “spent a total of one day reshooting my last two movies.” Considering Superman is still in early post-production, we think he’s only referring to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and The Suicide Squad, the film that (along with Peacemaker) made him the head of DC Studios.
Of his creative process, he adds: “1) Prepare thoroughly…, 2) Don’t start shooting until I have a script that the entire team is happy with, 3) Hire actors and department heads who I know can do the job, 4) Surround myself with people who challenge me, not just people who will do my bidding, 5) Ask yourself every day – are there any small flaws in the script or what was shot that might turn out to be huge flaws when the film is edited? 6) Repeat 1 and 2 again!” You have to admit, it’s a neat game plan.
Whether or not these movies are to your taste on a conceptual level, you’d be hard-pressed to call them creatively muddled or disjointed after watching them. Gunn’s vision is crystal clear throughout the entirety of his run time, and the same can be said of his recent efforts in television. This isn’t anything new, either, as he adapted well to the “big studio system” with the first two Guardians of the Galaxy movies, breaking out from low-budget fare like Slither and Superheroes. The fact that he’s managed to maintain control and creative clarity across all of his work while significantly increasing output and cadence is impressive and gives us hope for the rebooted DCU.
But of course, having a “clear” vision is easier said than done when working on such a massive production, and also having to “play nice” with the studio, producers, and other creatives involved. Even the greatest directors often stumble due to “too many cooks in the kitchen” situations. In Gunn’s case, he seems to be adept at handling internal politics and adapting to feedback while staying true to the story he wants to present on screen.
