The box office success of Minecraft has been a significant hit, but the underwhelming performance of Mickey 17 has prompted top executives at Warner Bros. Pictures to focus on franchise popularity to balance out their original content. With the upcoming release of Sinners generating strong pre-release buzz, Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy are hopeful that Ryan Coogler’s vampire movie will drive ticket sales for their summer slate leading up to James Gunn’s Superman.

In a recent interview with Deadline, De Luca expressed his enthusiasm for the DC Studios release, stating, “I love Superman. I think James Gunn has done an outstanding job. It’s a film that embodies his signature heart, humor, and jaw-dropping action. It’s the Superman I grew up with, and it evokes strong emotions in me. I believe it’s an epic, visually stunning, and emotionally resonant movie. The performances are exceptional. In my opinion, it’s a five-star film, and I’m eager for the world to see it. We’re really excited about Superman – James has truly outdone himself.”

De Luca also noted that the tone of the film is reminiscent of Richard Donner’s Superman films, saying, “In spirit, it’s closer to those classic films, but it’s also a big, epic sci-fi movie. It has a bit of the magic that I loved about Guardians of the Galaxy, but it’s still a true-blue Superman story. The comic book sources that inspired James, such as All-Star Superman, are also evident. It’s a love letter to the character and everything that has made Superman endure for nearly a century. He’s managed to incorporate all of those elements into the film.”

The executives were also asked about the status of Matt Reeves’ long-awaited Batman sequel, but they couldn’t provide much of an update, as it’s currently in the hands of the director and DC Studios. “We’re not directly involved in the Batman project,” Abdy explained. “It’s really James Gunn and Peter Safran who are overseeing DC. We do collaborate with Matt Reeves to some extent, but Peter and James recognize that he’s a writer-director with his own unique vision, and they’re giving him the time and space to create his best Batman script when he’s ready.”

For more io9 news, check out the latest release dates for upcoming Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, as well as what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.