(Image sources: Entertainment Weekly, Warner Bros. Pictures)
Since taking the reins at DC Studios, co-head James Gunn has faced a steady stream of criticism online. One recurring complaint is that Gunn has not prioritized solo movies for DC's A-list heroes, instead devoting time to projects centered on lesser-known characters, including "Creature Commandos" and the upcoming Batman villain spinoff "Clayface". Some fans have even argued that nobody wants to see these projects.
(Image source: James Gunn on Threads)
One Threads user recently posted, "Who the fuck asked for a Clayface movie?" What the user probably did not expect was for Gunn himself to see the post and personally fire back. Gunn asked who had ever demanded movies like "Back to the Future," "Casablanca," "There's Something About Mary," "Pan's Labyrinth," "Mad Max: Fury Road," "Weapons" or "The Matrix." He argued that despite how Hollywood may sometimes appear, filmmaking is not simply a matter of letting audiences vote on which familiar IP they want to see recycled yet again. Sometimes, he added, filmmakers are inspired by relatively obscure fictional characters — in this case, first Mike Flanagan and later James Watkins and Hossein Amini — and build what he considers an exceptional story around them. Gunn said he would choose that kind of inspired screenplay over a lifeless, passionless script about a hugely popular character written by someone merely looking for a paycheck.
Gunn's response quickly set off a wave of reactions across the thread. Apparently overwhelmed by the backlash, the original poster has since deleted the post, leaving only Gunn's response and comments from other users behind.