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Superman director (and DC Studios boss) James Gunn always had the energy to make great superhero movies, says Umbrella Academy star
Elliot Page says the 2010 film Super led to James Gunn finding success at Marvel and DC Studios
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Before there was Superman, there was Super.
Today, James Gunn is co-president of DC Studios, and one of the biggest filmmakers in the comic book film genre. However, there was a time when Gunn’s superhero films flew under the radar. Before Peacemaker, Star-Lord, and Superman, there was the Crimson Bolt.
Super is a 2010 film starring Rainn Wilson as a homegrown vigilante known as the Crimson Bolt. The film is more violent and vulgar than the most explicit episodes of Peacemaker, which could come as a shock to someone who only knows Gunn from his modern superhero work. While the film wasn’t a strong box office performer, there is a certain charm to it. It’s James Gunn before he became a big budget studio director. In fact, Elliot Page, who stars in the film as the Crimson Bolt’s sidekick Boltie, believes the film is partially responsible for Gunn’s current status as DC’s top dog.
“It was so fun,” Page says during a panel at New York Comic Con 2025. “It was such an enjoyable set to be on. Such a nice vibe and energy. Everyone there had to just work together to tell this crazy story. Such a fun full-blown character to play. With someone like James, you just trust him when you are pushing it and going far that he’s going to sort it out tonally. That was definitely one of my favorite characters to play for sure.”
Page went on to say that while Super is a much different film than Guardians of the Galaxy and Superman, it’s easy to see how Gunn became one of the biggest filmmakers in the comic book genre. “You can see how all these qualities and strengths have fed into it and made these great projects.”
If you haven’t watched Super yet, check it out. It’s worth it for James Gunn’s cameo as a demonic villain on a Christian cable access show.
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