James Gunn Talks Supergirl, Lobo, Constantine, and Reveals He's Not a Kyle Rayner Guy — GeekTyrant
James Gunn has got a long road ahead of him as he builds up the DC Universe, and he's had heavy involvement with Creature Commandos , which set things in motion, and Superman and Peacemaker Season 2, which are right around the corner, but we'll start to see that universe widen, with other storytellers stepping into the spotlight.
That includes Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow , directed by Cruella and I, Tonya filmmaker Craig Gillespie. Gunn recently opened up in a new DC Showcase interview about the state of the movie, the vibe of its characters, and how Jason Momoa's Lobo brings it all together.
"Craig is such a joy to work with. I was really excited to get to work with him, and he's been just a dream in terms of collaborating...fighting for his ground...when you have an idea that you believe, you really fight for it."
As for the casting of Milly Alcock, that came before Gillespie boarded the project. According to Gunn, she was always his top pick for Kara Zor-El.
"I wanted her to be this little pixie-ish, but very attitudinal character. [Milly] was the first person I brought up."
Gillespie also pushed for a more terrifying take on Krem of the Yellow Hills, the villain from the Woman of Tomorrow comic. Gunn teased that Krem, played by Matthias Schoenaerts, will be a real standout.
"Dude, wait till you see how scary he is in the movie," Gunn said. He called Schoenaerts "scary," "creepy," and "cool" in the role.
But the real curveball is Lobo. Momoa is swapping his Aquaman trident for a space bike, playing the wild, intergalactic bounty hunter. And according to Gunn, he's essential to making Supergirl work as a movie.
"The comic is very much a bunch of little stories. We needed to create one throughline, one three-act story, so Lobo helps us to do that."
Elsewhere in the interview, one of the hosts shared his favorite DC characters with Gunn, which include Kyle Rayner, John Constantine, and Mister Miracle. The latter is getting his own animated series, and while Gunn's a fan of Hellblazer, he's less keen on Kyle.
"I like all three of those characters. The second two, I'm a way bigger fan of. I've been online enough to know everyone has their favorite Green Lantern. I'm a Guy guy, right?"
He went on to talk about why Constantine, in particular, resonates with him.
"Constantine, I'm actually a pretty huge fan of. I read every Hellblazer comic as it was coming out. He's a great character, and I like that approach to magic where it's not too overwhelming and he's too powerful."
As for Kyle Rayner? Don't hold your breath. Gunn's focus seems to be on Hal Jordan, John Stewart, and, of course, Guy Gardner.
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The crowd was predominantly pro-Jayden but everyone enjoyed the insights of Montana (the former/still GOAT?) and Marino (a downfield deep ball passer ahead of his time). Marino got the most laughs out of the crowd not being able to resist a deflated balls joke about his former AFC East rivals. Both legendary former quarterbacks had nothing but good things to say about Daniels and his historic rookie season. Daniels seemed to be genuinely appreciative of the praise he received face to face with two of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play, especially the praise from Montana, who Daniels admitted was his father's favorite, and who he was told to emulate as a California kid dreaming of being a quarterback one day. If you were a paying customer and willing to wait in line (assuming you didn't purchase VIP access), candid conversations with sports stars were everywhere on various stages. Coolest thing I didn't see: Kevin Durant being traded in real time and finding out about it while on stage Sunday might have been the wildest moment of Fanatics Fest among many contenders. The buzz in the crowd seemed like a collective 'I can't believe this happened right now.' For all the many things that may have been pre-arranged at Fanatics Fest, the Durant trade seemed like organic magic for those in attendance. The crowd couldn't believe what just happened 🤯 — Fanatics (@Fanatics) June 22, 2025 —David Betancourt The coolest thing I saw was completely unexpected — the Grays Sports Almanac from 'Back to the Future II.' Not the one you can get easily as a mere replica. But the one that was screen-used in the movie. One personally owned by Michael J. Fox sold for $30,625 last year, which seems like a bargain, frankly. I'm not sure if Fanatics is testing the water at Fanatics Fest with this one movie memorabilia exhibit. But it makes sense that Topps, given their involvement with Marvel and Star Wars and various non-sports celebrities, would get into this space. Advertisement Screen used Hollywood memorabilia is usually one of one, at least when tied to a scene or a shot in a famous movie. And I guess it could be 'cardified,' for lack of a better term. Maybe they chop up Dorothy's slippers into 200 pieces and embed those pieces into 200 cards. That seems borderline criminal but they do the same thing with iconic jerseys and Babe Ruth bats. (Don't worry, 'Wizard of Oz' fanatics; Dorothy's actual slippers are safe in the Smithsonian.) They found Bruce the Shark from Jaws (one of them) in a junkyard, where it was languishing. So it's not crazy to think the outer rubberized skin and teeth can end up being slabbed. Maybe one day they'll do the same thing with the Mona Lisa! Objectively, the coolest thing I missed at the show, which was mostly a cultural event and not much of a memorabilia show for my vintage tastes, was the Travis Scott concert. But personally, I wish I saw Burrow struggle so mightily to hit a stationary strike zone with a baseball that it seemed like a put on. Joe Burrow pitches … just a bit outside 😅⚾️ — MLB (@MLB) June 22, 2025 —Michael Salfino The coolest things I saw: I was able to check out the 'Netflix Sports Club.' My favorite part of the experience was the golf simulator and putting green to promote Adam Sandler's Happy Gilmore 2. The putting green looked like it was taken straight out of the first movie, featuring Happy's boots and the one-eyed alligator holding Chubbs' wooden hand. The putter you use is even a replica of Happy's famous hockey stick putter, which will be officially available for purchase following the movie release. Fans also received a mini movie poster and a small box of 'Shooter McGavin's Pieces of S*** For Breakfast' cereal — a nod to the hilarious scene in the first film. I'm being told @netflix is handing these out at Fanatics Fest. Hilarious. — Shooter McGavin (@ShooterMcGavin_) June 20, 2025 The MLB activation also brought a fun ballpark experience, featuring a pitching cage with speed radar and one-of-a-kind baseball memorabilia on display. Some of the unique pieces shown included the 2023 World Baseball Classic trophy and a Julio Rodriguez Autographed 2022 Home Run Derby graffiti-design bat. The coolest things I didn't see: I missed out on the Topps trade night and the Commanders owner purchasing Daniels' 1/1 Prizm Black Finite rookie card from dealer Roth Cards for a whopping $500,000. I also didn't get the opportunity to see any of the panels at The Theatre due to its confusing entrance and location on Level 1. This, combined with how large and separated the two show floors were throughout the Javits Center, I found myself spending most of my time where the brand/league activations and card dealers were located on Level 3. —Tyler Holzhammer The coolest thing I saw: The fact that every athlete or celebrity I saw was fully bought into the spirit of the event and not just going through the motions or there to collect a check. Fanatics got a ton of huge names — not the long-forgotten or unknown benchwarmers — to engage with fans and act goofy and seemingly have actual fun. That's what really puts this event over the top. To that point, John Cena was the MVP of Fanatics Games. He did everything in his power not to win it (presumably so the fans who were competing could have a better shot at the prizes), but he did it in the most creative way possible. His six-ball pitching demonstration and power punch were highlights. Can't see him in anything 🚫🤣 @WWE — Fanatics (@Fanatics) June 21, 2025 Speaking of wrestlers, the WWE entrances were so fun. Not just the ones performed by the athletes and actual WWE superstars, but the ones all the fans did, ranging from little kids jumping around in fake mullets and beards to adults who meticulously re-enacted their favorite wrestler's every movement. At one point on Saturday I realized I had been standing there watching these for over an hour with a smile on my face the whole time. The very best one came on Friday, when a Macho Man Randy Savage impersonator did his entrance in a full St. Louis Cardinals uniform, with 'Poffo' printed on the back (Savage's real last name) and a Slim Jim in hand. Why a Cardinals uniform? Poffo/Savage was signed by the organization as a catcher out of high school. Impressive. The coolest thing I didn't see: Two stand out. First, Wemby playing chess against 100 fans — many of whom apparently did not know how to play chess. A post shared by Fanatics (@fanatics) And Durant, sitting in the balcony of the temporary 40/40 club built inside the venue that served as a refuge for the VIPs, graciously holding out his hands for one of the fans down below to throw him an item to sign, only for a bunch of people to all chuck things at him at once. A post shared by Fanatics Sportsbook (@fanaticssportsbook) —Brooks Peck The Athletic maintains full editorial independence in all our coverage. When you click or make purchases through our links, we may earn a commission. (Top photo of Tom Brady:for Fanatics)
