James Gunn says there have been ‘discussions’ of a DC-Marvel crossover

‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ filmmaker is currently in charge of DC Studios

James Gunn has teased the possibility of an ambitious crossover between the Marvel and DC film franchises.

The filmmaker, who has directed three Guardians of the Galaxy films for the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), was appointed co-chairman and co-CEO of DC Studios last year, alongside producer Peter Safran.

While both the MCU and DCEU (DC Extended Universe) have featured extensive crossovers within various franchises, the two universes have never intersected.

Speaking to Empire magazine, Gunn said: “I’m certain [a crossover is] more likely now that I’m in charge [at DC]. Who knows?

“That’s many years away, though,” he added. “I think we have to establish what we’re doing [at DC] first. I would be lying to say that we haven’t discussed it. But all discussions have been very, very light and fun.”

There are likely to be a number of hurdles facing any prospective crossover: Marvel is owned by Disney, while DC falls under the auspices of Warner Bros.

In the world of comics, Marvel and DC have crossed over several times, going back decades.

Gunn’s last Marvel film, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, is set to be released in cinemas on 5 May.

Earlier this week, the soundtrack for the much-anticipated sequel was shared online by Gunn, confirming that the film will be breaking from one of the series’ popular traditions.

Chris Pratt in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3' (Marvel Studios)

Speaking to Rolling Stone, Gunn also addressed the growing problem of “superhero fatigue” – the notion that superhero films have reached a point of market saturation, and audiences are beginning to lose interest.

“I think it doesn’t have anything to do with superheroes,” he explained. “It has to do with the kind of stories that get to be told, and if you lose your eye on the ball, which is character.

“We love Superman. We love Batman. We love Iron Man. Because they’re these incredible characters that we have in our hearts. And if it becomes just a bunch of nonsense on-screen, it gets really boring.”

Gun continued: “But I get fatigued by most spectacle films, by the grind of not having an emotionally grounded story. It doesn’t have anything to do with whether they’re superhero movies or not.”