James Gunn Criticizes Recent Superhero Films for Overusing Pointless Cameos: “I call that ‘Cameo Porn’”

James Gunn has a lot on his plate right now. ‘Superman’ wrapped filming just a few weeks ago, and production on the second season of ‘Peacemaker’ is underway. Gunn is working to reboot the DCU from the remnants of the troubled DCEU, and while fans are generally excited about what they’ve seen so far, the director isn’t without controversy.

The ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ director has faced criticism for including too many characters in ‘Superman: Legacy,’ a complaint that was also leveled at Zack Snyder. The upcoming movie is set to feature a variety of Superman’s supporting characters and villains, including some currently unknown ones, as well as Guy Gardner, Hawkgirl, Rick Flag Sr., and members of The Authority.

Fans worry that Gunn might embark on an overly ambitious and crowded storyline that could struggle to reach a satisfying conclusion. However, the filmmaker has reassured them that the film won’t be overly grand and that including other characters is necessary. Gunn pointed out that it would be far more unusual if Corenswet’s Superman were the only character in the movie.

Gunn also took the opportunity to criticize a recent trend in superhero films: excessive cameos. Many of the biggest releases in the last few years have leaned heavily on fan service, with callbacks to previous installments or even different universes. While films like ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ and ‘No Way Home’ executed this well, others, like ‘The Flash’ and ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,’ fell short.

The director emphasized that his cameos need to serve the story or function as small Easter eggs; simply lining up characters adds nothing to make the story “elegant.”

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