James Gunn Defends the Art of Superhero Movies

Last night during the Oscars, Jack Black got up and did a little joke in the opening musical number of the show singing, “Opening with lots of zeroes, all we get are superheroes: Spider-Man, Superman, Batman, Jedi Man, Sequel Man, Prequel Man, formulaic scripts!" 

We can have a laugh at that, because it's all true, but just because a movie is based on a comic book or superhero doesn’t mean that there’s no talent or art that goes into making them. Yeah, there have been some superhero movie duds in the past, but now that more talented people are involved with making them, those kinds of movies are just getting better and better. So of course they are going to be big blockbuster money-making hits! People aren't seeing them because they suck.

James Gunn admitted that he didn’t find Black's little rant offensive, but there was something that did strike an offensive chord with Gunn. It was a statement made by Nightcrawler director Dan Gilroy at the Independent Spirit Awards, who said:

"Independent film, the foundation and everybody here today, I think are holdouts against a tsunami of superhero movies that have swept over this industry. We have survived and we have thrived and I think that's true spirit."

Gunn, who has made several independent films of his own in his career, stood up for himself and the rest of the filmmakers out there who are making great superhero films, and posted the following statement:

“I didn't really find the Jack Black superhero jokes offensive, did you guys? It was, like, a joke. I'm not sure if you guys noticed, but the writing on the Oscars didn't seem to be all that well thought out.
“As far as Dan Gilroy saying that attendees of the Independent Spirit Awards have survived against a "tsunami of superhero films" - well it seems a bit weird coming from a guy whose wife has acted in two Thor films - really, that seems like you've drowned horribly in that tsunami. But I know I just kind of make up stuff as I go along on these awards shows, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.
“Whatever the case, the truth is, popular fare in any medium has always been snubbed by the self-appointed elite. I've already won more awards than I ever expected for Guardians. What bothers me slightly is that many people assume because you make big films that you put less love, care, and thought into them then people do who make independent films or who make what are considered more serious Hollywood films.
“I’ve made B-movies, independent films, children's movies, horror films, and gigantic spectacles. I find there are plenty of people everywhere making movies for a buck or to feed their own vanity. And then there are people who do what they do because they love story-telling, they love cinema, and they want to add back to the world some of the same magic they've taken from the works of others. In all honesty, I do no find a strikingly different percentage of those with integrity and those without working within any of these fields of film.
“If you think people who make superhero movies are dumb, come out and say we're dumb. But if you, as an independent filmmaker or a "serious" filmmaker, think you put more love into your characters than the Russo Brothers do Captain America, or Joss Whedon does the Hulk, or I do a talking raccoon, you are simply mistaken.”

This is where the slow clap begins, and then escalates to the roar of the geek community crowd cheering Gunn on. 

If you recall, There Will Be Blood and Inherent Vice director Paul Thomas Anderson also defended superhero movies. You can read what he had to say about that here. Then we have Robert Redford, one of the biggest supporters of independent filmmaking, who is also a supporter of big giant superhero movies by actually playing the villain in one!

I personally think maybe Gilroy is just a little jealous that he hasn’t been offered to direct a superhero movie yet. What do you think?

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