DC Studios boss James Gunn has responded to the speculation that he nixed one of his social media accounts, following the resurfacing of some old comments he made about Christopher Nolan and Tim Burton's Batman films.
In late 2022, Gunn and Peter Safran were appointed as co-CEOs of DC Studios, overseeing the direction of the new DCU in film and television. Amongst a range of exciting announcements for the DC slate also came the promise of a new Batman film.
Gunn has always been an active presence online, often using his social media accounts to not only promote his films but to interact with fans and answer their questions about his upcoming work. However, that will no longer happen on Gunn's Facebook account.
James Gunn Responds to Facebook Deactivation Speculation
James Gunn's personal Facebook account went down recently, resulting in the link to his page now serving users with a "content deleted" message. Gunn's professional Facebook page, however, is still active.
This was followed by speculation that the DC Studios head had deactivated his account, possibly in response to recently resurfaced comments about his opinions on several of the Batman movies.
In a series of comments posted to Facebook in 2012, Gunn said Michael Keaton's Batman had "a ridiculous voice". He added that Tim Burton's Batman was "poorly written" and is "one of the most boring films ever". The director also piled onto Jack Nicholson's portrayal of the Joker, saying "fuck you, everyone involved in that travesty."
Gunn also raised issues with Nolan's Batman films, saying "I have problems with both of Nolan's films - I don’t think either one is classic, and I don’t even really think Batman Begins is good."
Gunn has since responded to the speculation via a post on Instagram, revealing that someone attempted to access his account, prompting Facebook to hide his account from public view until he secures it.
The director also addressed the media fervor surrounding the deactivation, while acknowledging that he isn't able to reaccess his account due to how long it has been since last using it:
"What happens… and then the broad assumptions made by certain sites. I haven’t been on FB in so long I don’t even know how to answer the questions to get back on."
James Gunn Causes Controversy On Social Media (Again)
When it comes to the context of these comments it's worth noting that Gunn posted them 11 years ago, long before he had ever worked with DC. Bearing that in mind, it's also very possible his opinions have changed over the years, particularly with how much more Batman content there has released since 2012.
This isn't the first time Gunn's old opinions have caused controversy. In 2018, Disney severed ties with Gunn, who was in the midst of directing his Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, due to the resurfacing of controversial jokes he made on Twitter, between 2008 and 2012.
At the time, Gunn issued a statement offering his "deepest apologies" and saying that his words "don’t reflect the person I am today or have been for some time." In March 2019, he was reinstated by Disney as director of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Regardless of Gunn's past thoughts about the Caped Crusader's cinematic past, the DC Studios head seems plenty enthusiastic about Batman's future on the big screen. Not only has Gunn shared excitement for his own version of the Dark Knight in the DCU, but he also teased that he has heard "amazing stuff" coming from what Matt Reeves has cooking with The Batman.
