James Gunn: Disney's Streaming Craze Hurt Marvel

James Gunn has moved to clarify comments he made in a recent interview where he stated that Disney "killed" Marvel by pushing for a higher volume of content for the Disney+ streaming platform.

Gunn, who directed the highly successful Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy for Marvel Studios before becoming co-CEO of DC Studios, told Rolling Stone that Disney's directive to scale up Marvel's output for the Disney+ launch—a move Disney CEO Bob Iger later acknowledged "diluted the focus and attention of fans"—was both "unfair" and "misguided."

“And it killed them," Gunn added.

Some interpreted his “it killed them" remark as a declaration that the MCU was permanently finished, but in a follow-up social media post, Gunn clarified that this wasn't his intended meaning. Instead, he explained that Disney's demand "hurt" Marvel during that period, though the studio has since managed to bounce back as the "insanity" subsided.

“To be clear—and as is evident from the full interview—I wasn't saying ‘it killed them’ as if they’re finished, but rather that they were put in a difficult situation beyond their control,” Gunn wrote in a Threads post.

“They've now moved past that, which is a positive step. The rush to prioritize streaming above all else harmed many promising projects by creating an unsustainable demand for ‘content,’ prematurely moving films to TV before theatrical releases, among other issues. Fortunately, that frantic approach has calmed down across the industry. Thank goodness.”

In another post, Gunn described the expectations placed on Marvel as “an impossible task.”

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Every Upcoming Movie and TV Show

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Marvel's challenges following Avengers: Endgame are widely recognized. Since that record-breaking conclusion to Phase 3 in 2019, the MCU's box office performance has generally been weaker, with the notable exception of the billion-dollar hit Deadpool & Wolverine.

Similarly, many feel that the quality of the MCU's releases after Endgame hasn't matched the standards set in earlier phases. There are, of course, exceptions—such as 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home and Gunn’s own Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which achieved both critical acclaim and commercial success.

Today, Marvel is releasing significantly fewer films and TV series. Only three MCU movies are scheduled for 2025: Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts* / The New Avengers, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. For 2026, just two have been confirmed: Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday.

Now, Marvel Studios is under pressure to adopt a ‘less is more’ strategy. After the underwhelming box office results for Captain America and Thunderbolts*, all eyes are on The Fantastic Four to see if the MCU can recapture its financial momentum. For context, Disney CEO Bob Iger recently praised Thunderbolts*, calling it “the first and best illustration” of Marvel's renewed dedication to quality over quantity.

In the Rolling Stone interview, Gunn noted that DC Studios does not face similar pressure from its parent company, Warner Bros., to produce a fixed number of films and series each year.

“We're committed to releasing only what we believe meets the highest standards,” Gunn elaborated. “We'll inevitably have some hits and some misses, but overall, we aim for the best possible quality. Nothing moves forward until there's a script that I personally approve.”

With that approach, the revamped DC Universe launches with this July's Superman, followed by Supergirl the following July, and Clayface currently slated for September 2026. Peacemaker Season 2 arrives this August, with Lanterns expected in early 2026. However, the Batman project continues to present significant creative challenges for Gunn.