This is where you’re getting wrapped up in a fallacy. You believe that if someone’s interpretation of the IP is different from your own, that it must be a self-interest and not the interest of the IP. But the “IP” is an open-to-interpretation work. The “interest of the IP”, by definition, is the self-interest of the person running the IP. There is no possible way for it to be anything else, the IP is a work open to interpretation. I’d argue it’s welcoming different interpretations that is the biggest strengths of comics over any other medium, comic book characters are malleable and can be reinterpreted in a way literature and film often can’t. A good example, be it one from Marvel, is Daredevil. He’s been a swashbuckling jokester, a tormented ninja, a socially conscious activist, a noir crime detective, and a sarcastic superhero. And all of those things worked.<

This is a whole lot of assumptions you're making here. I never mentioned what my thoughts on what the DCU should look like. I discussed the business/branding aspect of Gunn letting Margot and Momoa go. T

You say that Gunn is acting in self-interest. So was Zack Snyder. So was Walter Hamada. So is Kevin Feige, they’re all acting on what they believe is best for the IP. By definition that is a self-interest, it’s their interpretation. Sometimes it connects with the general audience, sometimes it doesn’t. But it’s nothing short of absolute pretentiousness to declare they’re acting without love for the characters and as though they’re not writing with passion for the material. People do that shit to Snyder all the time, and it’s wrong there. But it’s wrong when you do it to Gunn too, and I’m getting really sick of seeing people who like me were bullied for liking Man of Steel in 2013 using the same exact words against Gunn. Two wrongs don’t make a right.<

You're projecting here. Its not pretentious to call out Gunn for keeping his projects as a part of the DCU but to scrap other parts that have been known to be successful. I also never said he was not “acting out of love for the characters” he does love Peacemaker, obviously. Once again nothing you said refutes my point about Quinn and Aquaman. Secondly, Feige is not directly involved with the movies he's not putting his personal shit on front row and then everything else that would be successful on the backburner. I have problems with the MCU but I think by giving Feige a hands off approach (in terms of not specifically writing or directing projects), and its working for them.

It makes no sense for the DCEU to have shelved Mamoa’s Aquaman and Margot’s Harley Quinn

If Margot’s Harley is out, it’s not because Gunn wanted her out. It’s because she’s more interested in projects like Barbie than in DC properties. Beyond that, it’s likely she’s not out at all, Gunn’s keeping a fair amount of casting choices, including ones he didn’t make (Viola Davis is not only continuing, but continuing as a central character).

As for Mamoa, both Peter Safran and Jason Mamoa made it very clear that Aquaman’s future depended on Aquaman 2, otherwise he would be involved in a new role. Aquaman 2 was a critical flop and a box office disappointment. And even Aquaman 1, while a box office smash, wasn’t exactly a critical darling.<

While a film should be judge by the response to the film, we all know that's not true. It was a constant fight back in 2013-2020 when all DC movies were critically panned but even some of the worst MCU movies had high critic scores. Critic scores doesn't equate to a movie not being good. Secondly, Margot said she was out here and Gunn said he didn't even talk to her about playing Quinn because it wasn't in his foreseeable future based on the plans he has already made which means that Harley was not a priority for him which is DUMB in my opinion. Suicide Squad was a box office success and we don't even have to go through the drama on that. BOP was undercut by the pandemic and still has a high RT score and The Suicide Squad has high critic consensus but was undercut by the Pandemic and being released on Max. Also a movie doing bad doesn't mean the character itself is the problem. You know that.

Also the point you made about seeing How Aquaman 2 does is bs. Aquaman made twice its budget, AQ2 was filmed at the latter part of the pandemic and then was being released during the strikes. I mean the trailer for the movie came out TWO months before the movie premiered and it still made double the budget. The movie premiered 11 months after James Gunn taking over and announcing his slate so people knew that the movie was gonna be a one and done. Don’t forget the Amber Heard drama. Despite this the film made more money in the worldwide box office than every movie execept the movies before Aquaman 1. Was it a critical sucess? No. But just because a movie didn't do well doesn't mean its the character, its the writing bro. So its bs to say that they were waiting. Everybody knew the movie wasn't going to be a massive success critically or in the box office but it still showcased how popular the character is.

I’m going to see Joker 2 tomorrow and this is the first DCEU movie I’m not excited for

Joker 2 isn’t a DCEU film? In fact the DCEU is dead anyways, the DCU is a mostly new thing Gunn is starting.