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They say that life is full of unexpected coincidences, which is honestly why anything ever gets done. Sometimes coincidences lead to movies or games being made, but sometimes it is just that two people were in the same place at the same time but never knew till later. That’s how it ended up that DC Studios CEO and Superman director James Gunn and iconic comic book artist, DC chief creative officer, publisher, and president Jim Lee saw 1978’s Superman movie on the same weekend in the same cinema.

Turns out, James Gunn and Jim Lee come from the same town. Not only that but their love of comics even drew them to the same cinema on the same weekend. “We figured out that we saw Superman in the same theater opening weekend,” Gunn explained during an appearance on the DC Studios Showcase podcast. “So, it could have been the same actual theater.”

As for if the pair interacted much before they became two big shots in comics and movies and comic book movies, there is enough of an age gap between them that they didn’t hang out much. “Jim is much, much older than me,” James Gunn (58) joked about why he never actually met Jim Lee (60) before they became famous. When you’re young, even two years apart can make a big difference, which makes it all the more wild that they could have been sat a few seats from each other watching Superman and not even know it.

It really goes to show why you should always talk to everyone around you – you never know who you’re going to meet again in forty years' time. 

James Gunn's Superman movie is out now - and we have a lot to say about it. You can also read about Superman's S-Shield through the ages, how Superman and Clark Kent keep their secret identity secret, our recs for best Superman comics, and how to watch all his TV series and movies in order.