Tons of fans and critics of superhero media have pointed out that the big studios can be too restrictive. Great filmmakers with creative visions can have their projects ruined by a risk-averse IP holder. James Gunn is frequently the only director who gets his movies and shows through the system as he intended. Some fans will complain about things being the same and about anything different.
James Gunn is the most talked-about filmmaker in the blockbuster space. Everyone knows how he shifted from indie horror and comedy pieces to impossibly big studio projects. However, fans have noticed the same handful of performers appearing in his films.
James Gunn Likes Working With the Same Actors
The overwhelming majority of James Gunn films feature an appearance by Gunn's brother Sean. He popped up in Gunn's first film in 1997, Tromeo and Juliet. He appeared in his 2010 film Super, and he's been in every movie Gunn has written or directed since. He's the ravager Kraglin and the motion-capture performer for Rocket in all three Guardians of the Galaxy films. He acted as a rodent for his brother again in The Suicide Squad, where he also had a brief appearance as Calendar Man.
Gunn's wife, Jennifer Holland, has a similar track record. They began dating in 2015, but her first appearance in one of Gunn's projects was a brief appearance in Brightburn. She's better known for her role as Emilia Harcourt in the DC Universe. She was introduced in The Suicide Squad and returned for Black Adam, Shazam 2, and Peacemaker. She went on to appear briefly in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Gunn's wife and brother aren't the only performers he keeps bringing back. Troma co-founder Lloyd Kaufman popped up in The Suicide Squad, as well as the first and third Guardians of the Galaxy films. Stephen Blackehart starred in Tromeo and Juliet, then went on to bit parts in eight other Gunn films. Nathan Fillion and Michael Rooker starred in Gunn's classic body horror film Slither, and they've since popped up all over his filmography. Comedian Steve Agee has followed Gunn from Super to Peacemaker and beyond. New additions to his collaborator list, like Daniela Melchior, Pete Davidson, Chudwudi Iwuji, and Flula Borg, have proven themselves across franchises. At this point, it's safe to assume any actor in a James Gunn project will appear in the next one.
Most Directors Have Actors They Like To Work With
The idea of directors having favorite movie stars is nothing new. Everyone knows John Wayne, but only true fans know that most of his classics were directed by the same guy. Wayne partnered with John Ford for 15 productions across his career. For a more modern example, look at Martin Scorsese. Scorsese has several frequent collaborators, but his partnership with Robert De Niro was so perfect that he essentially did it again with Leonardo DiCaprio. Anyone who can identify a Tim Burton film knows his obsession with Johnny Depp. Del Toro will put Ron Perlman in absolutely anything, and it works every time. There are countless examples. Some are famous, while others are only noticeable to fans. It's hard to find a well-known film director without a few actors that follow them from one project to the next. Tarantino has Samuel L. Jackson, von Trier has Stellan Skarsgård, Raimi has Bruce Campbell, Lynch had Harry Dean Stanton, Rodriguez has Antonio Banderas, Cheech Marin, and Danny Trejo and so on. It's a tradition, and James Gunn has one of the best approaches to the technique. Rather than picking one or two stars, he seems to accrue a cast of talented performers who love working with him.
Some have even gone so far as to accuse Gunn of nepotism. Constantly hiring his brother and his partner might raise more eyebrows if it wasn't so comically common. Tim Burton pulls this move as well by consistently casting his wife, Helena Bonham Carter. Woody Allen put his partner Mia Farrow in everything. Paul W. S. Anderson built an entire franchise out of his wife, Milla Jovovich's action scenes. Directors hiring their siblings is a bit less common. The biggest example is Ron Howard's brother Clint, who appeared in at least 17 of his brother's films. If Gunn is guilty of nepotism here, he's among good company.
Film directors frequently cast familiar faces in multiple films. There's nothing new about James Gunn's approach to casting a stable of performers who follow him across his career. There aren't any notable examples of Gunn's frequent collaborators turning in a sub-par performance. They always deliver, and that's probably part of the reason they've earned Gunn's favor. Repeatedly casting the same performers offers a ton of benefits. Gunn has a cast he can keep bringing back to fill fun little roles and offer Easter eggs to hardcore fans. Gunn is clearly a joy to work with, and fans will love seeing his frequent collaborators back in each new feature.