James Gunn Issues Impassioned Defense Of Superhero Films In Light Of Criticism

Whether you’re of the mindset that the superhero genre in cinema is careering towards saturation, or you’re simply revelling in the big-screen renditions of childhood heroes, there’s no doubting how important the category has proven to be in Hollywood. They are, far and away, some of the most bankable tentpoles crowding up a calendar year, but more often than not, the genre as a whole tends to get a bad rap.

And this criticism came to the fore over the weekend, when during both the Independent Spirit Awards Nightcrawler director Tony Gilroy remarked on the “tsunami of superhero movies,” not to mention Jack Black’s jib that the genre is becoming synonymous with formulaic scripts and derivative spinoffs. However, Guardians of the Galaxy helmer James Gunn has moved to defend the superhero film, issuing an impassioned response via his personal Facebook page.

Here’s what Gunn had to say on the matter:

Whatever the case, the truth is, popular fare in any medium has always been snubbed by the self-appointed elite. I’ve already won more awards than I ever expected for Guardians. What bothers me slightly is that many people assume because you make big films that you put less love, care, and thought into them then people do who make independent films or who make what are considered more serious Hollywood films.

I’ve made B-movies, independent films, children’s movies, horror films, and gigantic spectacles. I find there are plenty of people everywhere making movies for a buck or to feed their own vanity. And then there are people who do what they do because they love story-telling, they love cinema, and they want to add back to the world some of the same magic they’ve taken from the works of others. In all honesty, I do no find a strikingly different percentage of those with integrity and those without working within any of these fields of film.

If you think people who make superhero movies are dumb, come out and say we’re dumb. But if you, as an independent filmmaker or a “serious” filmmaker, think you put more love into your characters than the Russo Brothers do Captain America, or Joss Whedon does the Hulk, or I do a talking raccoon, you are simply mistaken.

Tell us, do you agree with the director’s statements? Sound off below!