James Gunn Still Wants A Marvel/DC Crossover, And The Idea Is Solid

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe changed the film industry forever, with shared universes and serialized storytelling now becoming commonplace. DC answered the call with its own live-action universe, and some comic book fans have been holding out hope that the two might crossover one day. That includes filmmaker James Gunn, who has worked on both franchises. And his idea is pretty solid.

James Gunn became a household name thanks to his acclaimed work in Guardians of the Galaxy, resulting in the relatively unknown heroes quickly become fan favorites. He’s pivoting to DC for the highly anticipated R-rated blockbuster The Suicide Squad, and previously teased his dream crossover between the two franchises. Now Gunn has further explained his point of view, saying:

I would really be happy to do a Harley Quinn and Groot movie. Not only have I thought about that, but I have actually talked about that to the heads of both Marvel and DC. It’s like everybody’s open to everything, but whether anything would ever happen, who knows? But the idea of being able to bring Marvel and DC together in a movie, that would be really fun for me.

My mind is blown. Groot and Harley Quinn are two of the most outrageous characters from their respective shared universes, so it seems like a killer combination. And if Gunn was the man behind the camera to facilitate this bonkers character pairing, it sounds like a winning idea.

James Gunn’s intriguing comments come from his recent interview with ReelBlend co-host Jake Hamilton about all things The Suicide Squad. Eventually the conversation turned to the idea of a DC/Marvel crossover, where it was revealed that Gunn has zeroed in his focus on the idea of Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn and Vin Diesel's Groot coming face to face on the big screen.

When it’s released in theaters, The Suicide Squad will also be available for a limited time on HBO Max. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

As previously mentioned, this isn’t the first time James Gunn has teased his interest in seeing DC and Marvel characters crossover on the big screen. He previously tweeted out an idea of combining his various CGI characters: Rocket, King Shark, Groot, and Weasel. But it’s clear that Gunn loved working with Margot Robbie as Harley, so he seems to have changed his tune.

It should be interesting to see how James Gunn’s unique director’s vision pivots from Marvel to DC for The Suicide Squad. In addition to focusing on (and killing off) various villains of the DCEU, The Suicide Squad’s R-rating should open new doors when it comes to violence and language. And he’s also working on a spinoff series for John Cena’s character Peacemaker.

The Suicide Squad will hit theaters and HBO Max on August 6th. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.