The director of Guardians of the Galaxy has a simple message for Marvel and DC fans everywhere. Why can’t we all get along?
On Twitter, Gunn has posted a thread excoriating fans for toxic shouting matches occuring in his mentions, particularly in relation to Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Zack Snyder’s… controversial superhero epic. Apparently, every time he brings up DC, his followers get to shouting about the film, and he’s tired of it.
1 Every time I mention anything DC, no matter what, my feed becomes an endless screaming match about BvS.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) October 28, 2017
2 You guys are never going to convince each other – it’s just a bunch of wasted energy.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) October 28, 2017
6 So why do you spend so much time raging at each other? It’s silly. Please just stop it. Stop engaging in that way.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) October 28, 2017
7 But at the very least, when you do, untag me. I’ve muted a lot of you guys, but not all. Thanks.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) October 28, 2017
Please, y’all, leave James Gunn alone. He doesn’t deserve all that shouting. Though he is right to point out a significant divide in superhero fan communities about the film. It showcases a strong ideological conflict about how we make superhero movies: how far is it ok to take these characters? If a vision like Snyder’s drifts miles away from the “canonical” characterization, is that a problem? And how much of a problem is it? Batman v. Superman has a lot of problems, as a film, but the vitriol with which people attack it seems to emerge from a deeper, more philosophical place. We’re not sure how dark superhero movies should be, and that can get real personal, real fast. The conflict has even divided DC’s movie division, with Wonder Woman seeming to be directly designed as a corrective to the tone Snyder struck in that film.
Myself, I have a confession to make: I like Batman v. Superman. At least the Director’s Cut. Maybe I’ll write that take sometime, and then get chased away with Bat-shaped chest brand-wielding Snyder haters. At least I’ll take the heat off of James Gunn for a while.