James Gunn on a possible Marvel/DC crossover

Could Iron Man cross paths with Batman? Might Spider-Man trade quips with The Flash? Perhaps Thanos and Darkseid could have a chat about the Anti-Life Equation over tea and cucumber sandwiches? It’s hard to imagine the two biggest comic-book franchises joining forces on the big screen, but a Marvel DC crossover isn’t completely out of the realm of possibility now that James Gunn has taken over DC Studios.

While speaking with Empire, James Gunn spoke about a possible Marvel DC crossover. “I’m certain that’s more likely now that I’m in charge [at DC],” Gunn said. “Who knows?” Before you start getting too excited, nothing has been seriously discussed, and Gunn said that the DC Universe needs to establish itself before they consider any type of crossover event. “That’s many years away, though,” Gunn said. “I think we have to establish what we’re doing [at DC] first. I would be lying to say that we haven’t discussed it. But all discussions have been very, very light and fun.“

The first major crossover between Marvel and DC arrived with Superman vs The Amazing Spider-Man in 1976. More crossovers would follow, including JLA/Avengers by Kurt Busiek and George Pérez. Thanks to Marvel and DC, not to mention Everything Everywhere All at Once, audiences have become more accustomed to the notion of the multiverse. Will such a crossover ever happen? I wouldn’t place any bets at this point, but it would certainly be an event to behold.

The release of next Marvel Cinematic Universe movie is now less than a month away. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will pick up with our beloved band of misfits as they are settling into life on Knowhere. “But it isn’t long before their lives are upended by the echoes of Rocket’s turbulent past,” reads the official synopsis. “Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him on a dangerous mission to save Rocket’s life—a mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.” Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will hit theaters on May 5th.

The next DC Universe movie will be The Flash, which James Gunn has claimed is “probably one of the greatest superhero movies ever made.” The film will find Barry Allen using his abilities to travel back in time to change the events of the past, but in doing so, he alters his future and becomes trapped in an alternate reality where there are no superheroes to turn to. The Flash will hit theaters on June 16th, but it will first debut at CinamaCon in Las Vegas later this month.

Would you like to see a live-action crossover between Marvel and DC?