Guardians Of The Galaxy Director Eloquently Defends Superhero Movies

Over the past few days, the plethora of comic book movies being made by Hollywood studios have been getting knocked at award shows. Last night during the 87th Academy awards opening skit, Jack Black mocked Hollywood's insatiable appetite for superhero films. A day before that at the Independent Spirit Awards, Nightcrawler director and screenwriter Dan Gilroy took a shot as well.

All of this recent bashing of comic book movies has led Guardians Of The Galaxy director James Gunn to post on his Facebook page an eloquent rebuttal defending filmmakers who worked in the superhero genre.

I didn't really find the Jack Black superhero jokes offensive, did you guys? It was, like, a joke. I'm not sure if you guys noticed, but the writing on the Oscars didn't seem to be all that well thought out.     

As far as Dan Gilroy saying that attendees of the Independent Spirit Awards have survived against a "tsunami of superhero films" - well it seems a bit weird coming from a guy whose wife has acted in two Thor films - really, that seems like you've drowned horribly in that tsunami. But 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.     

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. - James Gunn

Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy was nominated in two categories last night, but the Academy snubbed the film as they do with most comic book movies. The only victory for comic book movies came to Big Hero 6, which won Best Animated Feature, but is only loosely based on a Marvel property.

Guardians Of The Galaxy 2 will arrive in theaters May 5, 2017.