James Gunn’s Favorite Comic Movies Revealed In A GQ Interview

We are currently experiencing a boom in comic book movies, and DC and Marvel are fighting for the lead in this lucrative business. In a recent interview with GQ, director James Gunn talked about his top 5 favorite comic book movies. We recommend you stay until the end because you will find clues about what we can see in the upcoming DC productions headed by this excellent director. Plus, the movie that tops the list will surprise you. Here we go. 

James Gunn’s Favorite Comic Movies Revealed In A GQ Interview

Director James Gunn is at the peak of his career. No creative so far can boast of achieving what this man has accomplished. He is currently the creative head of DC Studios, while Marvel is releasing a movie he directed that is proving to be a hit. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 continues to garner rave reviews, while the director finds himself directing the cinematic universe for the competition. 

If Gunn has shown us anything, it is that he is a true fan of comic books, and has a unique vision that he excellently transfers to the cinema. A few years ago, Who would have thought that one of Marvel’s most successful franchises would star second-rate characters like Star-Lord and his team. 

James Gunn not only achieved that, but is making his mark on the two major American comic book publishers. The director is now tackling one of the industry’s most anticipated reboots, Superman: Legacy. It’s a complicated job, but few are better prepared than this story creator to do it. 

Faced with this challenge, many fans wonder what James Gunn’s influences are. Well, below we’re going to take a look at James Gunn’s top 5 comic book based movies. The director opened up for an interview with GQ and left a lot of interesting information, let’s go with his top.  

Deadpool

In the number 5 spot of James Gunn’s favorite comic movies we find the movie starring Ryan Reynolds giving life to Deadpool. No wonder this movie is among Gunn’s favorites. It contains all the elements that the director boasts in his films. Deadpool has action, violence, humor and a variety of characters. 

During the interview, James Gunns explained why is among his favorite comic movies: 

“Actually Deadpool movies are two of my favorite comic book movies. They came on the heels of the Guardians film. They were even more of, you know, comedies in the Guardians films and they were so well made so heartfelt and fun, and Ryan Reynolds just kills it. I think Deadpool is a perfect adaptation of a comic book”.

Oldboy Among James Gunn’s Favorite Comic Movies

The fourth film on the list is a full-fledged classic. However, only a few connoisseurs will know that this story is based on a graphic novel. Old Boy is a Japanese manga series written by Garon Tsuchiya and illustrated by Nobuaki Minegishi. James Gunn included it among his favorite comic movies highlighting several details. 

First, he applauded director Park Chan-wook’s skill in adapting the action scenes. He even declared that this film inspired part of the scenes in Suicide Squad. 

“They still probably make the best action movies in the world. But as a movie it’s just incredibly cinematic, incredibly colorful really kind of gross but also beautiful and shockin. At the end it has real nice twist at the end, so it works on every level one scene that sticks out it’s obviously the hallway fight. This scene was a huge inspiration to me, and you can see our own version of a hallway fight in Guardians 3.”

History of Violence

Another movie that doesn’t belong to the superhero genre is in the top 5 of James Gunn’s favorite comic movies. It is History of Violence, where Viggo Mortensen stars in it he’s fantastic. The director admitted that he didn’t know it was based on a comic book, and about it he declared:

“I didn’t know this was based on anything. Neather know it was adapted from a novel or especially didn’t know it was adopted from comic books in the graphic novel… I just saw it as a movie itself, so it didn’t have to live up to anything it didn’t have to overcome anything it was just a fantastic movie in and of itself that’s emotional and passionate, and the violence and the action is shot really well. I mean I really was influenced by History of Violence”.

Superman 1978 James Gunn’s Second Favorite Comic Movies

The penultimate film on the list of James Gunn’s favorite comic movies is a genre classic. It is Superman 1978, directed by Richard Donner. This film marked a before and after in superhero movies. Never before had it been possible to bring to live-action a production based on a comic book that had a serious tone for the general public. Donner not only achieved that, but was the precursor of a genre that today moves billions a year. 

James Gunn bears the burden of rebooting the character in his next live-action appearance with Superman: Legacy. We are sure the director has consumed all available material on the character to give his best. In this regard, James Gunn commented on several things of interest:

First, he referred to the Clack Kent – Superman duality. And how director Richard Donner knew how to capture that perfectly. He also made reference to the casting of Superman: Legacy:

“At the time they did exactly the same thing we’re doing now: they’re going through lots and lots of actors to see who captures that spirit. What they don’t talk about much when they talk about Christopher is his purity, his hope, his goodness. They also talk about how he plays Clark, which is so different from how he plays Superman. They also explore how he can change that in an instant.

Because of the sets, 1978’s Superman is among James Gunn’s favorite comic films. The director commented that this film inspired part of what we saw in Guardians of the Galaxy. 

“The Fortress of Solitude is an incredible set. It’s like the look of it was created through those Donner Superman movies, and I think it was a magical location that we weren’t familiar with. But that was so well done and built Great sets, that really influenced me. We have some of the greatest sets of all time in Guardians of the Galaxy 3. 

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: James Gunn’s Favorite Comic Movies

James Gunn’s list of favorite comic book movies is incredible, but this one caught us all by surprise. It’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The director highlighted this movie’s excellent work of both script and animation. He also emphasized the fact that it opened the doors to the multiverse. 

It is important to highlight that DC Comics created the multiverse concept. However, Marvel was faster and introduced the concept before the competition. Before this film, the director of DC Films commented. 

“My favorite superhero and comic book movie is an animated film is Into the Spider-Verse. This movie works from start to finish. The action is incredible, the emotion is incredible, the voices are incredible, it’s well directed and well written. I simply don’t think there has ever been a better superhero movie than Into the Spider-Verse.”

James Gunn has this among his favorite comic book movies because of its reference to the multiverse. We must remember that this was the first film to introduce the concept that would later come to the cinema with Spider-Man No Way Home. In this regard, the director commented:

“To be able to see all these different Spider-Man characters, Miles Morales and Peter, and all the other characters working together in one movie was kind of a dream come true for a kid who loved Spider-Man as much as I loved Superman and Batman when I was growing up.”

No doubt James Gunn’s favorite comic book movies is a good list, and it gives us a statement of intent about the direction DC Films may be heading in. If you think any of them should be on the list, please tell us in the comments box. 

Featured Image Via GQ / Marvel Studios / Sony