James Gunn has reacted to a group of Zack Snyder fans planning to spoil the box office performance of his upcoming Superman movie. The director responded with humor and confidence, saying he is not worried about their efforts.
The new Superman film, starring David Corenswet, is set to release on July 11, 2025. It marks the beginning of a rebooted DC Universe under Gunn’s leadership. Some fans of Zack Snyder’s earlier DC films are unhappy with this change and have organized a campaign to hurt the movie’s success.
A Reddit user shared a plan to spoil the film by leaking details, posting fake negative reviews, and blocking ticket sales by reserving seats without buying them. The post claimed, “Gunn fired the first shot and killed the SnyderVerse. Here is our chance to take the fight back to him.”
Gunn responded on Threads, saying:
“Lol, I think we’ll survive. I’m not sure the eight people that listen to that guy (I’m going to go out on a limb and guess it’s a guy) are going to impact the course of events.”
He later explained in an interview with Rolling Stone that he does not mind having critics. He said some negativity can actually help by making reactions seem more balanced.
“I don’t mind it. I think it’s good. I think you don’t wanna have everybody root for you. And I have an actor who reads everything online. I won’t say who it is, but he’ll read this article, and he’ll know who it is. It’s one of the top five in Superman. And this actor gets so upset over things that people say. I said, ‘First of all, you realize that the trailer came out and [reaction] was 97, 98 percent positive. These people help us, because you don’t want everything to seem 100 percent positive.’”
Gunn added that controversy is normal for big movies. He recalled how even small details, like Superman feeling pain from the sun, caused debates.
Despite the online backlash, Gunn and Snyder remain on good terms. Gunn revealed he even consulted Snyder about Superman’s costume design, particularly whether to include the classic red trunks.
“I talked to Zack Snyder, who was like, ‘I tried a billion different versions with the trunks, and at the end of the day, I tried it, but I just couldn’t get there.’ And I was feeling exactly the same way.”
The Reddit post calling for the boycott was later removed by moderators. They stated that the post did not represent the views of the Snyder fan community. Many Snyder fans also criticized the boycott plan online, saying it was unfair to attack Gunn’s movie.
One fan wrote:
“As a Snyder fan, that’s trash. Let people enjoy the movie. Absolutely wishing no malice, we had a good run with DCEU.”
Another added:
“Let’s be honest. James and Zack are friends. I loved Zack’s movies and I will probably love James Gunn movies! I love both James and Zack.”
The new Superman film features Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, and Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific. Early reactions to the trailer have been overwhelmingly positive, with most fans excited for Gunn’s fresh take on the character.
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Gunn’s relaxed response shows he is not worried about the boycott attempts. His focus remains on delivering a great movie for DC fans worldwide.
Credits: Rolling Stone
