In the modern CBM landscape, one thing that has remained constant since the 2010s is James Gunn’s love for obscure misfit characters. Notable for making Guardians a worldwide phenomenon, the director isn’t straying away from his roots, as in true Gunn fashion, his DCU is set to kickstart with another bunch of misfits, Creature Commandos.
Moreover, The Suicide Squad filmmaker has assured fans that the DCU will not shy away from tackling the rated-R territory, which could allow them to shed light on one of the publisher’s most underrated characters.
James Gunn’s DCU Will Not Be Held Back by Ratings
During his interview with Collider, the DC boss set the record straight about the new regime’s stance on rated-R stories. Elaborating on it, James Gunn expressed that if the story demands it, they’re completely okay with that, adding “Whatever is worthy of the story, that’s what we’re going to do”.
It’s not about testing out to see if this thing works. It’s just about telling a story. If a story is going to be R-rated, we’re totally okay with that. If it’s going to be PG, PG-13, or G, I don’t care.
With Creature Commandos receiving an R rating, grittier and more mature storylines aimed at adults might no longer be rare affairs in the CBM landscape.
This direction could also lead to the Question’s story being materialized in live-action, whose detective skills are on par with that of Batman.
The Question Deserves the James Gunn Treatment
While the Question is yet to receive major traction among the mainstream audience, Steve Ditko’s creation has been successful in maintaining a cult following over its decades-long existence. Although the character has gone through several interpretations over the years, which is par for the course of any comic book character, the Question has proven to be extremely malleable among writers.
But apart from his detective prowess, the character is notable for his philosophy, and similar to Daredevil, the Question works best in grounded and gritty settings as he’s arguably one of the best street-level heroes in DC. Although time will tell what the future holds for him in the realm of live-action, following Gunn’s love for obscure characters, the question could work wonderfully in an R-rating setting.
As for inspiration, Dennis O’Neil’s run on The Question could serve as a great base for a live-action or even an animated adaptation.
