Credit: IGNMarvel fans have tried to call out the casting in Guardians Of The Galaxy vol. 3 (2023), and director James Gunn is not having it.
The beloved director is well-known for his superhero movies, including Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014), Guardians Of The Galaxy vol. 2 (2017), The Suicide Squad (2021), and The Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special (2022).
Recently, he was hired by Warner Bros. to be the central figure behind the new DC universe. But before he leaves the Marvel cinematic universe to work on his new DC films, he still has to finish up with Guardians Of The Galaxy vol. 3.
Gunn is particularly excited about the movie, especially for Chukwudi Iwuji’s performance as the villainous High Evolutionary, an egotistical genius who is also the creator of Rocket Raccoon.
Iwuji, known for playing Clemson Murn in Peacemaker (2022), is also excited to take on the character. “I couldn’t have thought of a better character that uses [a] skill set better to join the MCU with because there’s something very Shakespearean about him, there’s something very emotionally dark about him, and he’s a lot of fun on top of that.”
However, while most fans can’t wait for the film to be released, some outspoken commenters argued about the casting in the worst way. And James Gunn let them know.
James Gunn Shuts Down The Trolls
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When Gunn recently shared a photo of Iwuji as the High Evolutionary on Instagram and said, “Can’t wait for you all to meet this guy.” Unfortunately, Marvel trolls began to come out of the woodwork saying some genuinely awful statements.
Mostly, they called out the casting of Iwuji as the infamous villain. One commenter said, “…another white guy they made into a black guy. Why couldn’t they just leave him white…? …They’re picking based on race and whats PC and not on acting and whats established.”
Fortunately, James Gunn had the perfect response.
“I chose the best actor, period, and the best person for the role. I don’t give a s*** what ethnicity Chukwudi Iwuji is, so top with your racist presumptions on WHY he was chosen. (And, by the way, he’s playing a guy who’s almost always purple in the color.)”
The Hype For ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy vol. 3’ Is Real
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Fortunately, most of the responses to the casting and the character are enormously positive, saying things like, “Chukwudi Iwuji is an absolute king” and “If his performance is anything like in Peacemaker, he’s gonna be a terrific villain!” James Gunn even interacted with fans who had questions about the film.
Chukwudi Iwuji is an incredibly talented actor and if Guardians Of The Galaxy vol. 3 is anything like the previous two films, audiences will be in for a hilarious and emotional ride.
How excited are you for Guardians Of The Galaxy vol. 3’s release? Let us know in the comments below!