Could the presence of “cameo porn” be detrimental to the success of superhero movies? According to James Gunn, it certainly could, and he has firsthand experience in the matter.

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Unusual events are occurring in the bold and innovative world of DC, specifically in the online community that revolves around James Gunn’s fresh and unique DC Universe. Gunn, who previously worked for Marvel, demonstrated great success in creating elaborate and dynamic superhero narratives on the big screen with the popular Guardians of the Galaxy franchise.

A little-known raccoon character from Marvel comics teams up with Star Lord and a walking tree for wild adventures in outer space? These movies feature constant appearances from unfamiliar extraterrestrial beings, making them the epitome of non-linear storytelling on the silver screen. However, director Gunn recently spoke out against excessive cameos, instead praising the upcoming DC film Superman: Legacy for its more focused approach with a smaller cast. He notes that it is common for solo protagonist films to have supporting characters, making it rare for them not to.

Regarding cameos, Gunn expresses his opinion that including them in films can be excessive and detrimental. He deems it as “cameo porn” and believes it has been a negative aspect in recent superhero movies. Gunn asserts that if a character is included in a film, there should be a valid story-driven reason for their appearance. This perspective is valid, as both Marvel and DC have incorporated superheroes into their films only to have them play insignificant roles in future installments. It can be assumed that this is what Gunn is referring to.

Joe Manganiello appeared as Deathstroke / Slade Wilson in 2017’s Justice League, Brett Goldstein portrayed Hercules in 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder, and Howard the Duck even made an appearance in Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy. It seems these cameos were included with the intention of setting up future appearances for these characters. (Hercules, in fairness, will likely return in future films.) Gunn also introduced Sylvester Stallone’s character Stakar Ogord in 2017’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, only to have him play a small role in this year’s Guardians of the Galaxy 3. This could be considered “cameo porn” as it involves numerous brief appearances by well-known characters.

According to reports, Superman: Legacy will include characters such as Nathan Fillion’s Green Lantern, Edi Gathegi’s Mister Terrific, and Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl. This superhero movie may have a single main character, but it does not seem to heavily emphasize this fact. In contrast, the 1978 film Superman only featured a few other potentially superpowered individuals, who were all Kryptonians that did not play a major role in the plot.

Gunn has successfully turned lesser-known superheroes into box office hits, so it’s surprising to see him criticizing the industry that has supported him. Is this a form of apology, with Gunn acknowledging his role in the monotony of comic book movies and promising a more original and cohesive future? Or is he hinting that the DC universe will take a different approach than Marvel and DC have in the past decade, even though he played a part in creating that structure?

Before the remarkable accomplishments of the initial years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there was doubt that multiple superheroes could be successfully portrayed in one movie without diluting their individual impact. Even die-hard fans of the early X-Men movies would likely concede that the group approach did little to highlight the unique nuances of characters like Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Storm. However, Marvel somehow achieved it, presenting heroes like Thor, Captain America, and Iron Man in their own standalone narratives, allowing us to become acquainted with them before encountering them in more ambitious group adventures.

We are currently living in a time where a basic story about a superhero saving cats from trees and battling human supervillains is no longer sufficient. This is a testament to the impressive achievements of Marvel. However, there have been some great linear films released during this time, such as DC’s Wonder Woman and the original Iron Man. Nevertheless, it is now up to Gunn to convince audiences that toning down the constant superhero conflicts can lead to better storytelling. He is taking over from an era where DC prioritized marketing and pitting superheroes against each other, rather than focusing on creating a solid script.

Maybe this is the source of the remarks regarding “cameo porn.” If that’s the case, it appears that Gunn is setting himself up for potential difficulties. However, it’s heartening to witness him aiming for excellence, considering the immense pressure on the filmmaker to make Superman: Legacy a hit. This pressure could easily weaken even the strongest of individuals, like the man of steel himself, if he were to be exposed to kryptonite.

Source: theguardian.com