James Gunn lashes out at fans calling him nepotic

James Gunn, a well-known director, and co-CEO of DC Studios, commented on some individuals who called him a nepotist (someone who favours people based on their familial connections).

Since being hired by DC Studios in October 2022, James Gunn has come under fire from a variety of fans who have, among other things, criticised the director/producer for frequently using the same talent pool while creating new films or television shows.

Sean Gunn is one such performer; he portrayed Kraglin Obfonteri in his brother's Guardians of the Galaxy films for Marvel, and he has also been chosen to play many parts in Gunn and Safran's reimagined DC Universe.

Although Gunn has vehemently defended such choices, the director has also been under fire for casting his wife Jennifer Holland in both the DCU (as recurrent ARGUS agent Emilia Harcourt in Guardians 3) and MCU (as Administrator Kwol).

Speaking to OneMan, DCU president James Gunn rebutted critics who charge that he practised nepotism by casting his brother Sean Gunn in numerous television shows and motion pictures. These claims were regarded to be "ridiculous" by James Gunn.

"It's the most ridiculous thing in the world. My brother was in a TV show for seven years ['Gilmore Girls'] making much more money than I was making those days. Me and my brother have been making movies since I was 11. Saying that he is not a person that I know inside-out and that he's not the best actor I have worked with, it would be ridiculous."

James Gunn's MCU films included Sean Gunn as Kraglin. He appeared briefly as Calendar Man in The Suicide Squad.

James Gunn proceeded by saying that it's critical to his approach for him to collaborate with people he knows, such as Chris Pratt and Steve Agee:

"They called me a nepotist because I worked with Steve Agee. He is a friend of mine of course, but he's also the funniest guy I know. Chris Pratt is one of my best friends. He's one of my groomsmen. It's important for me to work with people that I know. The way that I can talk to them and we can communicate so openly, it's part of the creative process. Anybody who makes movies will say this."