Superman Director James Gunn Has One Big Rule On His Sets

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James Gunn is one of the most high-profile directors working in Hollywood today. As the director of Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" trilogy and, most recently, DC's "Superman," he's asserted himself as a modern master of superhero cinema. Not only that, but he's also the co-head of DC Studios at Warner Bros., giving him a great deal of creative control over one of the biggest franchises around. Anyone who wants to be a part of that universe should know there is at least one big rule that Gunn has on his sets.

The new book "Superman: The Art and Making of the Film" by author James Field details the making of "Superman" from top to bottom. In it, Rachel Brosnahan, who plays Lois Lane, was very complimentary of the vibe on set, having never worked with Gunn before. A big part of that is owed to the director's "zero a-hole" policy. Here's what she had to say about it:

"A James Gunn set is infusing a movie with love and hope. He did a deep dive on all of us. He made it very clear that there was a 'zero a**hole' policy on his sets. And he brought together this group of people who are just excited to be here and happy to be here every day. And he loves these universes. He loves these characters, and that kind of energy comes from the top. It was a blast."

"We had so much fun. He has a crystal-clear vision for what he wants to do, but he's also really collaborative, and he made space for us to play and find things and work together," Brosnahan concluded.

It's not unusual for big directors to have certain rules on their sets. Christopher Nolan doesn't allow cellphones or smoking, for example. Gunn's rule is a little less enforceable, strictly speaking, as everyone's definition of being an a-hole may vary. The larger point is that Gunn wants to foster a positive, creative environment.

Gunn might have had to exercise patience with David Corenswet while filming "Superman," but having creative disagreements and someone being a jerk are two very different things. What we know for sure is that Gunn's methods provide great results. His movies are generally very successful, and, beyond that, actors tend to want to work with him again and again. When he was briefly fired from "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," the cast actively petitioned to have him reinstated. Not every director gets that sort of love.

"There's a camaraderie that you really don't get very often, and especially on big things, where a lot of that stuff just gets lost in the weeds," Metamorpho actor Anthony Carrigan added. "James prioritizes it. He makes sure that everyone is tapping into that kind of heart that is in the script, that's in the movie. And you can feel it."

In this case, everything worked out rather well as "Superman" is the biggest superhero movie of the year, getting the new DC Universe off to a solid start. Gunn is already working on his follow-up, titled "Man of Tomorrow," which will feature Brainiac as the main villain. It's yet to be revealed who will be suiting up as Brainiac, but the one thing we know is that person won't be an a-hole, in Gunn's estimation.

You can grab "Superman: The Art and Making of the Film" from Amazon.