- James Gunn criticizes “cameo porn” in superhero movies, emphasizing that characters should serve a real purpose in the story.
- Gunn may have already broken his own rule with unnecessary cameos in The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker.
- Fans hope that the characters in Superman: Legacy will have a meaningful impact on the movie and bring success to the DCU franchise.
As Superman: Legacy continues to build its roster of comic-book characters, there are concerns that the film may be shifting its focus away from the iconic superhero. James Gunn, who is helming the live-action DC Universe, responded to these concerns by criticizing the prevalence of “cameo porn” in superhero films and asserting that characters should have a genuine purpose within the story.
Gunn argues that while it is common for movie universes to feature characters that make brief appearances, there should not be a barrage of these cameos done just for the sake of doing them. He believes that characters should have a meaningful reason to be in the film, whether they have a single scene or are part of the main storyline. This applies to both post-credit cameos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and other appearances in the DC Universe, like Superman in Black Adam or Wonder Woman in Shazam: Fury of the Gods and The Flash.
In a recent post on Threads, Gunn states that it is natural for a film’s protagonist to be surrounded by supporting characters that help enhance the storyline. Responding to a user’s comment praising a character not being included just to “mark a checkbox,” Gunn said, “I call that ‘Cameo Porn’ and it has been one of the worst elements of recent superhero films. If a character is in a film, they have to have a reason to be there story-wise.”
However, it appears that Gunn himself may have already violated his own rule against unnecessary cameos. In The Suicide Squad, the film’s opening sequence introduces numerous obscure characters from DC Comics, only to immediately kill them off. Although this scene sets up the arrival of the main Suicide Squad, its necessity and the number of cameo appearances have been debated. Additionally, Gunn’s follow-up series, Peacemaker, features a cameo in the final episode that is reminiscent of the fan-service he criticizes. Jason Momoa and Ezra Miller appear as Aquaman and The Flash, providing a brief moment of humor but also arguably falling into the “cameo porn” category.
It remains to be seen how the many characters in Superman: Legacy will contribute to the film’s story. Fans are hopeful that these appearances will hold significance and contribute to the overall success of the DCU franchise. For now, it is up to Gunn and his collaborator Peter Safran to create a captivating world that improves upon previous DCEU projects.