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EXCLUSIVE| Superman director James Gunn: I’d love to see an Indian actor be a part of the superhero universe
Gearing up for Superman's release, James Gunn exclusively talks to us about the influence of Bollywood on him and why his film isn't a retelling of Superman
James Gunn has had an illustrious career that boasts of some genre-defining superhero films, and as he gears up for the release of his next, Superman, the filmmaker beams while talking to us as he admits to being inspired from Indian films. “Bollywood films are important to me when I'm telling stories. What those films give to me is that they aren't afraid of making a movie that has heart, that has drama, but that's also funny, there’s music, and all of those things are beautiful. That is what life is right? Life isn't just one genre, and that's where I take my inspiration from,” he says.
With the ever-expanding superhero universe in the West, does James Gunn have a plan to find an Indian superhero for it soon too? “I would love to see an Indian actor be a part of the global superhero universe, but I would also love to have Indian filmmaking collaborators. We, at DC studios, think that there are heroes all over this world that we could focus on and filmmakers from all over the world that can tell their stories within the DC universe. Who's our Indian superhero, and who are the Indian filmmakers that want to be a part of this universe, that's important to us. We've already got things started in Korea, Japan and Brazil. So, it would be great to collaborate with some Indians,” he responds.
The films is the superhero genre in India have seen a spike in recent years, and even James has taken a note of the growing interest of the Indian audience in the genre. “I'm incredibly grateful for the Indian fans, and I talk to you guys all the time online. There's so many fans of Superman and that isn't lost on me when I'm making this movie about how much he means to the people of India. He really is somebody who looks out for everyone, who cares about everyone on this planet. Every life is sacred, and he's somebody who brings us together and makes us more alike than different in every way,” he says.
Indian superhero films have found success when they have brought in mythology in the storytelling. Is that something he also agrees with? “The mythology and iconography of Superman, it's important to me. This is not just a character but a real person to me, and I treat him as such. We need to get to know him in a deeper way. But sort of the fun of this movie is taking the mythology and iconography of Superman and taking it apart and seeing who he is as a human being. There is, of course, this overwhelming, world threatening battle that takes place in this movie. But at the same time, it's really about Superman's journey, about his relationship to Lois, his relationship to Lex Luther and most of all his relationship to himself,” James says.
With his upcoming Superman, actor David Corenswet is taking over the baton of the superhero from actor Henry Cavill. Ask James why does he think the story of Superman deserves a retelling and he says, “It really isn't a retelling. This is the new telling of a different part of Superman's life that we hadn't seen before. This is a part of Superman's life where he's been superman for about three years, and is beginning his relationship with Lois Lane. So, we're seeing a part of their lives that we've never seen before.”
