James Gunn thinks cameos are a major problem in modern superhero movies

Dec. 13, 2023

The DC Studios co-CEO isn’t a fan of unnecessary cameos

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James Gunnhas shared his thoughts on unnecessary superhero cameos – and he’s not a fan.

“I call that “Cameo Porn” and it has been one of the worst elements of recent superhero films,” Gunn wrote onThreads. “If a character is in film, they have to have a reason to be there story-wise.”

Heexplainedfurther: “I don’t mind actual cameos – if it’s a glimpse or a moment, an Easter egg. What bothers me is when they mangle an elegant story by shoehorning characters in - they aren’t there because the story calls for it, but for some other reason.”

Of course, that might cause you come confusion, since Superman: Legacy won’t just feature David Corenswet’s Clark Kent, but also the likes ofNathan Fillion’s Green Lantern, Edi Gathegi’sMister Terrific, and Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl.

Gunn, though, revealed in earlier posts the thinking behind these appearances. “What single-protagonist movie doesn’t have more than ten speaking roles? There will be more,“he said, when a fan expressed concern at the size of Legacy’s cast.

“The whole point was it’s NOT a large film - I mean, not in terms of cast. It’s normal for single protagonist films to have other characters - much more unusual for them not to,” headded.

Along with the above, the film will also star Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, with Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen.Sean Gunn has recently been cast as Maxwell Lord in the DCU, though it doesn’t seem he’ll be appearing in Superman: Legacy.

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For everything else the new DCU has in store, check out our guide toChapter One: Gods and Monstersfor all the upcoming projects.

I’m a Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site’s Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.

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