DC chief James Gunn has slammed meaningless cameos in superhero films, terming the practice as “cameo porn” during a conversation with fans on the Meta platform Threads.

Alleging that meaningless cameos are ruining the superhero genre, Gunn went on to say that characters should have a reason to appear on screen. “I call that “Cameo Porn” and it has been one of the worst elements of recent superhero films. If a character is in a film, they have to have a reason to be there story-wise.”

Continuing the conversation, the DC Studios co-CEO also said cameos in recent superhero films have no relation to the main plot. “...they mangle an elegant story by shoehorning characters in…they are introduced not because the story requires them but because of some other reason,” he argued.

Gunn, however, defended the use of a large number of comic book characters in his upcoming directorial Superman: Legacy, saying that he is aiming to build an entire universe in the film led by David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan. “The whole point was it’s NOT a large film - I mean, not in terms of cast. It’s normal for single protagonist films to have other characters - much more unusual for them not to,” he said.

Known for directing the Guardian of the Galaxy films, The Suicide Squad (2021) and the original Max series Peacemaker (2022), Gunn has also written the screenplay for the upcoming superhero movie.

Co-produced by DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran, who has also produced Aquaman films and The Conjuring franchise, Superman: Legacy will hit theatres globally on July 11, 2025.