James Gunn doesn’t care if he isn’t nominated for Best Director

Superman accumulated several rave reviews and was a box office success. It’s usually a formula that maintains interest when awards season rolls around, even though summer blockbusters tend to only rack up nominations in categories like special effects and costume design.

However, there have been exceptions: Marvel scored a historic victory for superhero films (even if it didn’t win the actual award) when Black Panther earned a nomination for Best Picture. A year later, Joker also landed several major nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, as well as Best Actor for eventual winner Joaquin Phoenix. But James Gunn, director of Superman and co-head of DC Studios, doesn’t have Oscar fever as Hollywood gears up for the next big awards season.

In a new interview with VarietyGunn – who, let’s not forget, got his start among Troma Entertainment’s legendary B-movies – was asked about his thoughts on “prestige versus mainstream” films.

“I don’t care about prestige,” he said. “I mean, sure, would it be cool to be nominated for best director or something? Yeah, would I prefer that over not? But that’s not really my problem. Sometimes I have ideas that are more independent films, but I like making the kind of films that I make, and I like making pop cinema, for lack of a better term.”

He continued. “If I can make these things also be something that emotionally resonates with people, or affects them in a deeper, more spiritual way, as many people have told me, Superman I did it, a lot of people told me Guardians 3 I did it, so it’s fantastic. That’s what I wish I could do. But I also like making great films. There is an artistic side, a creative flow. But I also love the part of putting the big puzzle together and creating this machine that works for an audience to elicit a reaction from them, whether it’s emotion, whether it’s laughter, whether it’s screaming, whether it’s whatever. That’s what’s fun.

Variety asked, but that’s all Gunn would reveal about 2027 The man of tomorrowGunn’s next directorial effort: “At its core, it’s about Clark and Lex. I identify with both of them. I identify with Lex’s ambition and obsession – minus the killing. And I identify with Superman’s belief in people, his Midwestern values. Those are two sides of me.”

Oscar nominations are announced on January 22. It looks like Gunn, who is already living his dream anyway, won’t be holding his breath.

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