James Gunn: Marvel Thrives Post-Disney Streaming Era

James Gunn has clarified recent remarks he made in an interview, where he stated that Disney "killed" Marvel by pushing for increased content for the Disney+ streaming platform.

Gunn, the director behind the highly successful Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy for Marvel Studios and now co-CEO of DC Studios, told Rolling Stone that Disney's directive to boost Marvel's output for Disney+ — an approach Disney CEO Bob Iger later acknowledged "diluted the focus and attention of fans" — was "unfair" and "incorrect."

“And it killed them," Gunn added.

Some interpreted the "it killed them" comment as Gunn suggesting the MCU was permanently finished, but in a later social media post, he clarified that wasn't his intention. Instead, he explained the Disney mandate "hurt" Marvel at that time, though the studio has since recovered after the initial "insanity" subsided.

“To be clear — & as is evident from the full interview — I didn't mean ‘it killed them’ in the sense they're finished, but that they were harmed by a situation beyond their control,” Gunn posted on Threads.

“They've moved past that phase now, which is positive. The obsession with prioritizing streaming at all costs damaged many worthwhile projects by creating an insatiable demand for ‘content,’ rushing movies to TV before proper theatrical releases, and more. Thankfully, the frenzy has calmed and the industry has regained balance everywhere.”

In another post, Gunn described what was expected of Marvel as “an impossible challenge.”

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Every Upcoming Movie and TV Show

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Marvel's challenges following Avengers: Endgame are well known. Box office results for MCU movies since the record-breaking 2019 finale have been relatively modest, aside from major hits like the billion-dollar success Deadpool & Wolverine.

At the same time, many feel the quality of the MCU's output since Endgame hasn't matched the standards of earlier phases. There are exceptions, of course, such as 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home and Gunn’s own Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which were both critical and commercial triumphs.

Marvel now releases significantly fewer films and TV series. Only three MCU movies are scheduled for 2025: Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts* / The New Avengers, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. For 2026, two films are confirmed: Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday.

Marvel Studios now operates under a 'less is more' strategy, aiming to deliver higher quality. Following the box office underperformance of Captain America and Thunderbolts*, attention turns to The Fantastic Four to see if the MCU can rediscover its blockbuster appeal. Notably, Disney CEO Bob Iger recently praised Thunderbolts*, calling it “the first and best example” of Marvel’s renewed focus on quality over quantity.

In his Rolling Stone interview, Gunn noted that DC Studios does not face similar pressure from parent company Warner Bros. to produce a fixed number of movies and TV shows annually.

“We plan to release only what we believe meets the highest standards,” Gunn explained. “Naturally, some projects will succeed more than others, but overall we aim for consistent excellence. Nothing moves forward without a screenplay that I personally approve of.”

Accordingly, the rebooted DC Universe launches with July’s Superman, followed by Supergirl next July, and Clayface slated for September 2026. Peacemaker Season 2 arrives this August, with Lanterns expected in early 2026. Meanwhile, the Batman project continues to present Gunn with significant challenges.