James Gunn Responds To 'Tsunami Of Superhero Movies' Slur

'Guardians of the Galaxy' writer-director James Gunn has (not for the first, or we suspect last time) spoken out in defence of superhero movies, following 'Nightcrawler' writer-director Dan Gilroy's recent grumble about superhero movies overtaking Hollywood.

Gilroy made the remarks during his acceptance speech at the recent Independent Spirit Awards, an event dedicated to celebrating indie filmmaking, where he was awarded best first feature and best screenplay for his dark drama with Jake Gyllenhaal.

The filmmaker declared, “Independent film, the foundation and everybody here today, I think are holdouts against a tsunami of superhero movies that have swept over this industry… We have survived and we have thrived and I think that’s true spirit.”

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Many were quick to point out the irony that Gilroy himself has written an upcoming superhero movie, ‘Stan Lee’s Annihilator,’ and is married to two-time ‘Thor’ actress Rene Russo - not to mention that his film ‘Nightcrawler’ shares its name with one of the X-Men.

James Gunn took to Facebook to speak his mind on the matter, beginning by brushing off complaints about Jack Black making fun of superhero films in the opening musical number at the Oscars (“It was, like, a joke”), followed by a more in-depth and heartfelt response to Gilroy’s remarks.

Firstly, Gunn conceded Gilroy’s comments may simply have been made in the heat of the moment - “I know I just kind of make up stuff as I go along on these awards shows, so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt” - before crafting an eloquent defence of the films produced by Marvel.

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"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 [sic] 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."

James Gunn is believed to be currently working on the script for ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 2,’ due in cinemas 28 April 2017.

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Picture Credit: WENN, Marvel