Today marks a significant anniversary in Hollywood, celebrating 20 years since James Gunn directed his first feature film. Gunn is now the established creative leader of the DC Universe (DCU) for Warner Bros., overseeing major upcoming projects like Superman (2025) and Supergirl (2026).

This milestone arrives two decades after Gunn first stepped behind the camera. While he previously spent years as a screenwriter, including work for the successful indie studio Troma and collaborations with Zack Snyder, his directorial talent was fully unveiled with Slither.

James Gunn's Directorial Launch with 'Slither'

The 2006 Horror-Comedy Release

James Gunn made his official directorial debut with the horror movie Slither, which premiered in theaters on March 31, 2006. Gunn not only directed the film but also penned the original script.

The movie starred Nathan Fillion as Police Chief Bill Pardy in a small South Carolina town facing an alien infection that transforms residents into monstrous creatures. The cast also featured Michael Rooker as Grant, a wealthy local who becomes the first victim of the parasite, and Elizabeth Banks as his wife, Starla.

Box Office Reality and Cult Status

Slither quickly devolved into a tale of body horror as Grant transformed into a grotesque monster that Starla and Bill desperately tried to stop. Despite a modest production budget of $15 million, the film was a theatrical disappointment, earning only $12.9 million.

However, like many genre films, Slither found its audience on home video, where it gained popularity and achieved beloved cult classic status. Critics responded positively, awarding the film an 87% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Influences and Artistic Vision

Critics frequently compared Slither to the 1986 film Night of the Creeps. James Gunn stated that his influences included 80s horror comedies and 70s movies such as Shivers and The Brood.

At its core, the movie served as a tribute to B-grade horror while simultaneously proving that such low-budget fare could maintain mainstream quality. This debut firmly put James Gunn on the industry map and charted his eventual trajectory toward major Hollywood leadership.

The Unusual Path to Mainstream Success

Early Career Roots at Troma

Gunn’s early career trajectory made the nature of Slither unsurprising. Before directing, he wrote the first blockbuster screenplay he sold, Scooby-Doo, and the indie superhero film The Specials, followed by co-writing Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead remake.

Gunn’s foundation was built at Lloyd Kaufman’s Troma studio, where he wrote Tromeo and Juliet, an adaptation of Shakespeare set in modern Manhattan, widely considered one of Troma’s best films and a standout indie picture of the 1990s.

Foreshadowing the Superhero Era

Slither visibly blended elements from Gunn’s past work, incorporating the horror aspects seen in Dawn of the Dead and the quirky indie sensibility of The Specials. It remains the only non-comic book movie Gunn has directed.

Following Slither, he directed the original superhero film Super before moving into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). With Guardians of the Galaxy, Gunn successfully integrated his sharp comedy, unique filmmaking concepts, and love of music.

Gunn has consistently re-teamed with actors from his earlier work, including Nathan Fillion, who appeared in all three Guardians of the Galaxy films, and Michael Rooker, who portrayed Yondu. These trademark techniques are now being applied to his current DCU projects, such as the streaming series Peacemaker and the animated Creature Commandos. The journey to leading the DCU began 20 years ago with Slither.