James Gunn’s Approach to VFX Speaks Volumes

James Gunn, the co-president of DC Films and director of the upcoming Superman, answered a question about visual effects recently, and though his answer was simple and direct, below the surface it spoke volumes not just about the industry, but possibly even his former employer, Marvel Studios.

The exchange happened on Gunn’s main hangout these days, Threads, where a fan said the following: “The last few years, overworked and underpaid VFX artists have been forced to work with very tight deadlines, which has led to understandably bad CGI in lot of big budget movies. Do you plan on taking a different approach with your DC films?”

Gunn replied, “If you do some research you’ll see my films have always taken a different approach and I’ve always given my VFX artist-collaborators time to do their jobs properly, and the respect they deserve. And the quality of the VFX in those films is uniformly great because of it (and because my friends at Weta and Framestore and ILM and more are amazingly talented).”

He continued, and here’s where it gets interesting, with this: “This is why we wrapped on Superman a year before release and why they’ve been hard at work on many shots for months before that. This is why we start heartily editing during the shoot. It’s why I prepare so vigorously and why we only shoot finished screenplays. And Supergirl, which I’m not directing, is being handled the same way. I can’t praise the VFX artists that help us create magic enough.”

Clearly that’s a very straightforward, impartial answer. One that shows a level of respect and preparation needed to make movies of that scale. But, let’s look at a few things. One, Superman is set for release July 11, 2025. It started shooting in late February of this year and finished in late July/early August, hence Gunn saying the VFX team has about a year to work on the film. Two weeks after Gunn’s film hits theaters, the new Marvel movie The Fantastic Four: First Steps is scheduled for release. That film started shooting about four weeks ago, almost concurrently with Gunn finishing his movie.

Many think there’s no way Fantastic Four hits that release date, and maybe that’s correct. But you can’t ignore the subtext here. Most of the fervor in the VFX industry of late has been directed specifically at Marvel Studios. There are mountains of articles about the company pushing VFX artists to the max to finish films on time, which led to Marvel VFX workers unionizing late last year.

Clearly to finish a movie presumably as effects-intensive as Fantastic Four, on a tight schedule, will require long hours. And with the union, workers will be paid a fair wage for those hours. But Gunn talking about his July 2025 superhero movie being done a year in advance when another big July 2025 superhero movie, from the company at the center of the controversy, didn’t start filming until a year out certainly is interesting. Gunn, as the head of Marvel’s competitor, may not have said anything directly, but he is making sure people realize the two studios will be handling things differently.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.