James Gunn, the director of the upcoming DC reboot films, has faced backlash for his harsh comments, calling a significant portion of the country “jerks” and suggesting that if people don’t like the political stance of his film, “screw them.”
Recently, Gunn defended the political message in his film, which is centered on themes of “immigration.”
According to reports, he stated, “It’s about human kindness. There’s a jerk who isn’t kind, and that makes it offensive just because it’s kind. But it ruins them.”
Unsurprisingly, this led to a swift backlash after he labeled a large segment of the population as “jerks.”
Like many on the left, there seems to be a misconception that Americans who oppose illegal immigration somehow are against immigration as a whole.
Now, just a few days ahead of his film’s premiere on Friday, Gunn appears set to revisit his earlier statements.
At a recent red carpet event for his film, he responded to questions about his political message, saying, “You said it was an immigrant story, a political film. What do you have to say to people who disagree?”
“I have nothing,” he initially replied, dismissing the concern. “I think this film is for everyone. I’m not here to judge people.”
Sean Gunn, James’ brother, joined in on the remarks and also seemed to equate opposition to illegal immigration with being un-American, arguing that those who disagree with him may not even be true Americans.
Sean participated in the same red carpet event and was asked about the backlash, responding similarly.
“We stand for ‘our people.’ We love immigrants. Yes, Superman is an immigrant. If you disagree with that, then you’re not American,” he asserted.
“Those who deny immigrants are rejecting the American way, which is what the American dream embodies,” he added with some passion.
These comments aren’t the first controversial statements connected to the new DC film. Recently, David Corenswet, the actor portraying Superman, faced criticism for inaccurately reciting the iconic slogan, opting for a different version that lacked the phrase “American Way.”
The Superman character has traditionally been linked with the motto “Fight for Truth, Justice, and the American Way,” but Corenswet’s rephrased motto was “Truth and Justice and all the good things.”
This upcoming film is crucial for the DC cinematic universe as it aims to reboot the franchise entirely; however, if it doesn’t succeed, it could jeopardize the future of DC films. Early reviews have already described it as “bad,” “superficial,” and “overstuffed.”
