James Gunn reveals when a Marvel DC crossover could happen

Ever since the MCU and DCEU began competing in the theatrical space, people have wanted to see a Marvel DC crossover event. Separate crossovers of The Avengers and Justice League are exciting, but the box office potential when these two teams team up or fight each other would be tremendous.

Recently, at the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 World Premiere, James Gunn once again talked about a potential Marvel and DC crossover event to happen in the live-action movie space. But this time, his comments might be a little disappointing for those who want to see it happen in the near future.

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"Not Today": James Gunn, when asked about a Marvel DC crossover

In an interview with Deadline, Gunn claimed that a clash between Marvel and DC's universes in one frame would definitely "be cool," but it isn't something that people should get excited about right now. He said:

"I think that it would look like something that would be happening in about ten years. Not today, because we have a whole bunch of other DC movies we need to tell. But yeah, I think it could be cool."

This statement clarifies what he said about such a crossover event earlier in April, where he was asked to comment on the same matter.

James Gunn’s Guardians and The Suicide Squad (Image via Marvel/Getty/DC)

Gunn told Empire that discussions have happened regarding the same. He said:

“I’m certain that’s more likely now that I’m in charge [at DC]. Who knows?” Just don’t expect anything on that front in the immediate future. “That’s many years away, though. 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.”

James Gunn and Kevin Feige have been great friends, and the latter has always supported Gunn’s ventures in the DCU. So, a crossover between Gunn and Feige’s houses could surely happen with them in charge. But we can’t expect to see it in the 2020s era.

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Why a Marvel and DC crossover will not happen any time soon

James Gunn and Kevin Feige (Image via Getty Images)

As Gunn stated, his DC Universe is far from finding its feet at the moment. So, it will have to be a little more established before we even think of a crossover with Marvel. But the reason why such an event is so tough to pull off is because the properties involved belong to two different movie studios.

Disney and Sony have managed to find synergy when it comes to using Spider-Man in the MCU. But Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery are two rival studios. Getting them to work on a project together in a 50-50 split scenario would be historic. It’d be next to impossible, but the only people capable of bringing Disney and WB execs into the same room are Kevin Feige and James Gunn.

The Avengers and Justice League (Image via Marvel/DC)

However, James Gunn is yet to gain major influence at Warner Bros. Discovery. He can do that by delivering successful entries from his Gods & Monsters DC projects. On the side of MCU, Kevin Feige is currently busy completing his multiverse saga. So, there’s no potential for an MCU-DCU crossover at the moment.

It may happen in the 2030s when the MCU and DCU run out of stories to tell. Superhero fatigue has begun to catch on. So, as the number of Superhero projects continues to increase by the end of this decade, the genre will need to offer something new. That’s when an MCU-DCU crossover event will reignite people’s interest in the genre.