If anyone is familiar with the superhero genre, it’s probably James Gunn: in 2010 he filmed ‘Super – Shut Up, Crime!’, the darkly humorous indie version of a superhero film, before moving on to ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy’. “Trilogy was responsible for one of the biggest cinematic phenomena of the past decade.
For the second attempt at a “Suicide Squad” film, he finally moved to Marvel competitor DC in 2021 – and took over the reins there a short time later: Not only does he lead the DC studios together with Peter Safran, his upcoming film “ Superman: Legacy” (with David Corenswet in the title role) would also be the starting signal for a new DC Universe after the so-called DC Extended Universe is stopped after a series of flops.
‘Superman: Legacy’ will not only be about Clark Kent, Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) and arch-enemy Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), the mega-blockbuster will also introduce a whole host of other comic book characters: Jimmy Olsen Metamorpho to Mister Terrific , Guy Gardner and Hawkgirl. Can such a rush of characters really work without it becoming random?
James Gunn complains about ‘cameo porn’
While some fans have expressed concern about this, a recent statement from James Gunn gives hope: On Threads – a new short-form messaging platform intended as an alternative to ).
“I call it ‘cameo porn’ and it’s one of the worst elements of recent superhero movies.”said Gunn on Threads. “If a character is in the movie, they have to have a reason for being there.”
In almost every Marvel or DC film, in addition to the characters relevant to the plot, other characters also appear, often for only a few minutes or seconds – as an inside gag or teaser for upcoming superhero projects. According to the DC boss’s recent comments, it can be assumed that this will end in the universe he leads.
Gunn explains his position: “I don’t mind real cameos – as long as it’s just a fleeting moment, an Easter egg. But it bothers me when an elegantly told story is distorted by forcing characters – they are not there because the story requires them, but for some other reason.“
So if his comments are to be believed, it appears that the numerous supporting characters announced for Superman: Legacy will actually play a role, rather than just hinting at the next DC films – We won’t find out exactly how Gunn does this until July 10, 2025, when ‘Superman: Legacy’ hits theaters.