When it comes to the more horrifying corners of James Gunn‘s career, many audiences think of films like Slither or Dawn of the Dead, though the filmmaker also offered some family-friendly adventures by writing two live-action Scooby-Doo films. The second film, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, featured a variety of ghosts and ghouls, with Gunn revealing that his favorite monster in the film was Captain Cutler’s ghost, a figure that he had some personal history with. Given the number of creepy and cartoonish figures in the film, Gunn had many colorful characters to choose from, but the figure from the original Scooby-Doo cartoon came out on top.
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“Captain Cutler’s ghost of course,” Gunn replied to a fan when asked about his favorite monster. “My first nightmare I remember having as a toddler was of this guy.”
The plot of the film involves the Mystery Inc. team appearing at a museum exhibit honoring many of their past cases, only for the figures to begin to return to “life.” The gang discovers that a device has been created that conjures the monsters from their past to take on a life of their own, despite many of them being nothing more than ruses. The nature of the plot meant that, while Captain Cutler’s ghost appeared, it didn’t play a prominent role in the film.
Captain Cutler’s ghost of course. My first nightmare I remember having as a toddler was of this guy.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) April 1, 2020
In the Season One episode of the original cartoon series”A Clue for Scooby-Doo,” the gang investigates Captain Cutler’s ghost at Rocky Point Beach, with a local legend claiming that Cutler was a diver who died at sea and was seeking revenge. The episode concludes with the reveal that the legend was created so a local thief could keep people away from the beach, allowing him to steal yachts, repaint them, and sell them.
The live-action films starred Freddie Prinze Jr. as Fred, Sarah Michelle Gellar as Daphne, Linda Cardellini as Velma, and Matthew Lillard as Shaggy, while Neil Fanning provided the voice of Scooby. Despite them being relatively successful, a third entry never moved forward, with Gunn revealing that he had been tapped to direct the potential sequel.
“I made a deal to write and direct #3 back in 2004 but the second one, although it did well, didn’t do well enough to warrant a third, so the movie was never made,” Gunn recently revealed on Instagram.
The animated Scoob! is scheduled to land in theaters later this year.
Which monster was your favorite in the film? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!
