The best actors James Gunn ever worked with: “So good on so many different fronts”
From Scooby Doo to Superman, James Gunn has had one hell of a career trajectory. Beginning as a screenwriter and director of low-budget black comedies and horrors, he exploded into the public eye with his first film for Marvel: the wildly successful Guardians of the Galaxy. Recently, he has crossed the divide and joined DC, helming The Suicide Squad, the Peacemaker TV show, and the soon-to-be-released outing from the Man of Steel.
In his time, Gunn has worked with some very acclaimed actors. The ‘Guardians’ movies are full of stars, both old and new, from Chris Pratt to Kurt Russell, Zoe Saldaña to Pom Klementieff. Elsewhere, he’s directed Elizabeth Banks, Elliot Page, Liv Tyler, Nathan Fillion, and more, but, like all parents, he’s prone to having favourites.
When speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Gunn reiterated his love for Margot Robbie. He’s talked about his admiration for the Aussie before, but admitted there are others he considers on her level. “I think there’s a couple of people in her league: Glenn Close and Chukwudi Iwuji, who I just worked with on the Peacemaker show,” he said. It’s easy to forget, but Close is in the first ‘Guardians’ movie. She plays Nova Prime, leader of the planet that the titular team defend against Lee Pace’s Ronan the Accuser in the final scene.
As for Chukwudi Iwuji, his name may be less familiar than Close’s, but his role in the ‘Guardians’ franchise is much more significant. He plays The High Evolutionary, the megalomaniacal scientist who serves as the main antagonist of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. His theatrical, earth-shaking performance brought a much-needed breath of fresh air to the movie and helped make it one of the better post-Endgame Marvel offerings. Gunn is clearly a fan, because he also cast him as Project Butterfly agent Ik Nobe Ik in Peacemaker.
Gunn was there to speak about The Suicide Squad, his reboot of the DC anti-hero team following the 2016 film. Alongside Robbie reprising her role as Harley Quinn, a number of new ‘heroes’ joined the fray, including John Cena as Peacemaker, Idris Elba as Bloodsport, and Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher 2. “She’s a young person who’s starting to achieve this level of fame,” Gunn said of his rodent-based star. “All the mentors around her are people like that, which was a really cool thing to see.”
However, when it comes to stars, there’s really only one that has a special place in James’ heart. “What’s so great about Margot is that she’s just so good on so many different fronts,” he gushed. “She’s a fantastic actor, she’s a fantastic comedian, and she’s a fantastic athlete. And being able to create Harley with all of those different qualities makes it very easy for me… She’s a great person, who doesn’t have an ego, and this movie was full of those. John Cena is exactly the same way. They’re both these incredibly famous people, who just don’t have a chip on their shoulder, and that’s actually really rare.”
Directors tend to go one of two ways; deciding they want to work with as many different actors as possible; or setting up a stable of favourites they can pick and choose from. Gunn seems to be more inclined towards the latter, but at least he is somewhat open to making new friends.
