When James Gunn decided to share his political stance on social media, it took no time at all for some offensive jokes he once made - and had already apologised for - to be dragged up and used against him. Disney panicked and fired the filmmaker from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, prompting the movie's cast to very publicly oppose the decision; Warner Bros., meanwhile, wasted no time in hiring Gunn to take charge of The Suicide Squad.
Now, something similar has happened thanks to the emergence of comments made over a decade ago which saw Gunn make it abundantly clear that he hated Tim Burton's Batman and wasn't blown away by Christopher Nolan's eventual reboot, Batman Begins, either.
We're not sure if it's the extreme SnyderVerse loyalists or simply those disappointed to bid farewell to the DCEU, but there are now many fans eager to point out that these opinions surely mean Gunn isn't the right person to take charge of DC Studios and the new DCU.
What a load of bullsh*t.
As fans, we all have very different opinions. One person's masterpiece is a prime example of the worst the comic book movie genre has to offer. I unashamedly love Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice; it's not perfect, but I love it nonetheless. Opinions can also change and mature; there are movies I've praised - Star Wars: The Last Jedi - which, while excellent from a filmmaking level, have not aged well or are not necessarily worthy of such worship with the benefit of hindsight. Then, there are movies I really like (Eternals) and dislike (Venom) which, despite that not being the prevailing opinion online, I have zero plans to change my mind about. It is what it is, but if you feel differently...I don't really care and neither should you.
The point is, if Gunn doesn't like those movies, it really doesn't matter. Not liking Burton's interpretation of the Dark Knight does not mean the filmmaker doesn't understand who the character is. Based on his comic book recommendations alone, it's apparent he has a very eclectic, specific taste with these DC characters and, ultimately, that's going to translate to the screen in a way some fans are pleased with and others are not. I'd have liked to see Ant-Man and The Wasp assemble alongside the rest of Earth's Mightiest Heroes in Avengers Mansion, but eh, it wasn't meant to be and we instead got the MCU's take on The Ultimates.
Talking of Marvel Studios, Gunn's work on the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise was impeccable. He put those characters on the map. I didn't like The Suicide Squad anywhere near as much, but Peacemaker is utterly phenomenal. To say he's unfit to oversee the DCU because of a "controversial" opinion that differs from how the majority seemingly feel is laughable. Sure, there's a chance this meant he was less inclined to keep Keaton around for Warner Bros.' planned Batman Beyond movie but if we start trying to figure out and analyse every decision made by a studio boss, we'll all be left with a headache.
I'd argue that Gunn has, in fact, already made some questionable decisions with the DCU; there is no part of me that can understand why Andy Muschietti would be hired for The Brave and the Bold after delivering The Flash. However, he's made a lot of fantastic ones as well. Only time will tell whether he's the right person to steer this ship, but at the moment, it's sinking because the DCEU's days are quite obviously done.
So, yeah, Gunn might hate the Batman movie you grew up with and we'll admit it's hard to appreciate why he didn't like Batman Begins (however, as he's a comic book purist, the answer might be self-explanatory). That doesn't mean he can't run DC Studios. So, give him a chance and, if it doesn't work out...well, we doubt it will be because he thinks Jack Nicholson's Joker sucked.