“Guardians might have been a “false positive”: James Gunn Copying Marvel’s Formula With Daniel Craig’s Rumored Role Could Backfire For 2 Reasons

In the world of superhero movies, some characters who have been unknown in the world of comics can rise to global fame in one night. Marvel Studios was among the first to crack the formula, whereas DC has had a hard time following the same route.

However, with James Gunn now in the driver’s seat at DC Studios, the whole scenario is expected to change. The latest rumors of Daniel Craig joining DCU have the potential to either revolutionize the DCU or it might end up on the list of the biggest misfires from DC. 

Daniel Craig’s Potential Casting in DCU Might Be Risky

According to Deadline, Daniel Craig is now in discussions to appear in Sgt. Rock, which will be a DC Studios film directed by Luca Guadagnino. The project is based on the character of Franklin Rock, a World War II soldier who was developed by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert in 1959.

The character possesses a history in the comics but is not nearly as well known as Batman or Superman. There has been a debate on social media about the necessity of casting Craig, an A-list actor for what most people consider a supporting character for the big heroes.

I think Guardians might have been a "false positive" for Marvel. They are now realizing you can't make obscure characters into massive, four quadrant mass appeal franchise stars EVERY TIME… Marvel is pivoting back to the BIG characters and DC is doing SFT Rock… 🤦‍♂️ https://t.co/arhdnPLEi2

— Josh (@JoshDenofNerds) November 20, 2024

Even as a major Bond and Craig fan, I’m disappointed by this. Would prefer him to play an A list character that we know will be around for a while. Maybe he doesn’t want to make those scheduling commitments, but this isn’t it.

— ComicsCuts (@ComicsCuts) November 20, 2024

And GOTG never made more BO than both Black Panther movies . Captain Marvel made a billion something GoTG never did in 3 movies . Studios thought someone was magic when in reality it was just MARVEL brand

— Reyes Flores (@mokoloco88) November 20, 2024

feel like you’d want an actor as well known as Daniel Craig in a more major role than Sgt. Rock of all characters..

— Sigmatic (@sigmatic_) November 20, 2024

Never heard of the character

— Samantha J. Foster Composer (@sjfostersound) November 20, 2024

While Marvel’s way of bringing up lesser-known characters worked well with Guardians of the Galaxy, DC doesn’t have the benefit of brand identity yet. There are issues that make this strategy potentially risky, and there are critical differences here.

First of all, Marvel built its cinematic universe and brand before they started experimenting with lesser-known characters like the Guardians. Moreover, it is also using its streaming platform to introduce characters like Maya Lopez, who might have a role in the narrative of the bigger picture, but the character is not enough to gain a wider audience’s attention.

On the other hand, DC has been inconsistent with its live-action movies, to say at best. In Marvel’s case, Robert Downey Jr.’s casting came with an inherently dramatic real-life narrative of redemption, which garnered fans’ interest. Daniel Craig, who is already on the pinnacle of his career, has no such story.

The excitement of the audience might be reduced by casting a famous actor like Craig in a less popular role. Since it doesn’t have the default fanbase that big superheroes always have, Sgt. Rock may end up in a risky state.

James Gunn’s Lesser-Known Character Strategy

James Gunn has clearly stated his desire to introduce and involve lesser-known characters in the new DC cinematic universe. He stated on X,

We’ll be focusing on the most well-known and some lesser known characters simultaneously.

There are some reasons for optimism in this case as well. Gunn managed to turn Guardians of the Galaxy characters into superstars, although MCU’s brand was a big factor there. Heroes like Peacemaker have gained so much following that they have been brought back to the comic books.

However, there are certain problems in doing so. As much as side characters are refreshing, this might alienate those audiences’ who are more used to icons like Batman, Superman, or Wonder Woman. Focusing too much on introducing such unknown characters might backfire.

The strategy needs to be subtly balanced to bring in the desired results. Gunn is already bringing Mister Terrific, Metamorpho, and The Engineer in Superman and is willing to bring Lobo soon. Only time will tell whether his strategy pays off or not.