James Gunn Thinks 'Cameo Porn' Ruins Superhero Movies - But Is He Guilty Of It?
James Gunn is calling out "cameo porn" in superhero films. Cape flicks such as "The Flash," with Bruce Wayne (George Clooney), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), and Superman (George Reeves and Christopher Reeve), and "Morbius," with Vulture (Michael Keaton), feature cameos adding little to the plot. Additionally, they seem like nothing more than fan service, with little purpose besides getting brief claps from the audience. While Gunn didn't mention any specific project, he called the abundance of unnecessary cameos one of the biggest epidemics in recent superhero films.
Taking to Instagram Threads, Gunn responded to news defending the large cast of "Superman: Legacy." The director said, "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." User @drizzleboy, responded, saying, "Finally someone who treats characters more than just *having character appear on screen for 10 seconds to mark a checkbox*."
Gunn directly replied, adding, "I call that 'Cameo Porn' and it has been one of the worst elements of recent superhero films. If a character is in [a] film, they have to have a reason to be there story-wise."
But some X (formerly Twitter) users called out Gunn for committing "cameo porn" himself, referring to his frequent casting of friends and past collaborators in his projects. Most call-outs brought up his brother Sean Gunn, who played multiple roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and will play Maxwell Lord and voice two additional characters on the DC Universe's "Creature Commandos." But is there any truth behind the notion?
James Gunn isn't guilty of cameo porn
Make no mistake: James Gunn loves to cast his friends and past collaborators in his movies. Aside from Sean Gunn, actors Michael Rooker, Nathan Fillion, Daniela Melchior, Pom Klementieff, and Gunn's wife, Jennifer Holland, all appeared in both "Guardians of the Galaxy" trilogy and "The Suicide Squad." Fillion's Guy Gardner is among those confirmed in the upcoming live-action DC Universe. However, by his definition, Gunn does not commit "cameo porn." Yes, he casts his friends and family in roles, but the cameos have never been purposeless beyond mere fan service.
Gunn even noted that it is okay to have Easter eggs or advance looks at future projects, but not if cramming them into a movie they don't belong in. "I don't mind actual cameos – if it's a glimpse or a moment, an Easter egg," Gunn wrote on Threads. "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." As an example of James Gunn's small cameos, Sean Gunn's appearance as Calendar Man in "The Suicide Squad" doesn't have significant implications for the story but enhances it by emphasizing the eclectic pool of criminals Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) chooses from when assembling the Suicide Squad. This is also a nod at a classic DC character.
Is Gunn guilty of nepotism? Sure. But the quality of his films never falters due to his casting choices. Is he guilty of "cameo porn"? Absolutely not.