James Gunn gets frequent backlash for his casting decisions whilst another family in the MCU gets off scot free.
There’s no doubt that James Gunn definitely has his favorites. He often works with the same handful of actors time and time again and he’s already confirmed that actors like Chris Pratt and Pom Klementieff will be appearing in the DCU, (and not as themselves.) On top of that he frequently casts his brother, Sean Gunn and wife, Jennifer Holland, in his movies with Holland already playing roles in both the MCU and DCU.
Many fans aren’t too happy about Gunn using the same cast again and again for some reason. To be fair, nepotism can be a bad thing if the role is being given to someone who isn’t right simply because they know the director. However, the actors that Gunn works with are well-cast and always do a great job. No-one has any complaints about Sean Gunn’s performance as Kraglin in Guardians of the Galaxy, they only ever complain about the fact he’s James’s brother.
Of course, Gunn isn’t the only one who’s getting family members roles in his films as fans have pointed out that Chris Hemsworth’s entire family appears in Thor: Love and Thunder. To get specific, the Australian actor’s children, India (Love), Sasha and Tristan (Young Thor) all appeared, his wife Elsa Pataky cameod as a Wolf Woman, and brother Luke reprised his role as Actor Thor. The only difference is that nobody seems to have a problem with it in this case.
“I love that Chris Hemsworth’s entire family was in Love and Thunder I’m hoping his dogs appear in the next Thor.”
Okay, to be fair, these are only small cameos for the most part and it’s not as if it happens in every Thor movie like it does with Gunn. However, it just goes to show that nepotism is everywhere and yet most people don’t seem to have a problem with it, unless the new DC chief is the one doing it.
Fans thought the cameos in Love and Thunder were great, although there was one notable name missing from the list of Hemsworth family members: Liam Hemsworth is the only one who doesn’t get a part in the fourth Thor film. Of course he’s busy doing his own thing. What with being the new Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher, he doesn’t need a small cameo role alongside his brother. Although fans did put forward their own ideas for characters he could play in the fifth film.
“He should show up in a scene as Jane’s ex Dr. Donald Blake (the name tag Thor wears in the first movie).”
“Liam will be brought in to play the staged recap to play the character playing Thor on stage.”
“Missed opportunity for Liam to play Sentry, or some other Superman-lite, to play on Cavill losing Superman.”
Some thought he’d make a great Beta Ray Bill.
“Beta Hemsworth Liam.”
Whilst the small cameos are cool in Thor: Love and Thunder, it just leaves us wondering why James Gunn frequently catches so much flak for doing pretty much the same thing. No-one likes nepotism but directors working with the same actors on different projects has been a thing since cinema began, just look at Quentin Tarantino and Samuel L. Jackson, or Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy. As long as the actors they’re casting are the best fit for the role people usually don’t care.