James Gunn Assures Steven Soderbergh That Yes, Some Superheroes Are Indeed F***ing
Until journalists stop asking directors what they think about superhero movies, we're unfortunately going to have to keep hearing about them. In the latest of a long line of "this again?" interviews with the great Steven Soderbergh, The Daily Beast asked him about his feelings on superhero cinema. Soderbergh explained that he didn't avoid superhero cinema because it was high or low-brow, but rather that he couldn't get himself in the mindset of a world where people weren't having sex. This sparked a debate about the lack of sex in superhero cinema on Twitter, in which resident superhero punk James Gunn had his own opinion to share. After all, Gunn's superhero stories for both Marvel and DC have had their fair share of horniness, and that should be celebrated.
If You Can't Find Superhero Sex, You Aren't Looking Hard Enough
Gunn tweeted Tuesday morning "With all due respect, Steven Soderbergh, some people are f***ing," along with images of sex scenes from "The Suicide Squad," "Peacemaker," and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2."
With all due respect, Steven Soderbergh, some people are fucking. pic.twitter.com/vPFQkXqLJJ
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) February 8, 2022
Gunn's superhero output has had its fair share of sex, even if the Marvel franchises have to be more tempered for family audiences. When the discourse hit Twitter, my immediate thought was "has Soderbergh never seen a James Gunn superhero flick?" so Gunn's response is a delight. "Peacemaker" is deliciously filthy, featuring a graphic sex scene in the first episode and the aftermath of a threesome in the second. "The Suicide Squad" sees Harley Quinn hooking up with a hot despot, and even "Guardians" has Yondu (Michael Rooker) seeking out some extraterrestrial booty calls. While there isn't a ton of sex in most of the mainstream Marvel fare and some of the DCEU is similarly sterile, Gunn's output alone proves Soderbergh's statement false. That's not to say Soderbergh did something wrong, of course. The man is a GOAT and is deserving of our eternal love for "Logan Lucky" alone, and has an impressive filmography with something for everyone. It's just frustrating when people look at the most central Marvel stories and assume that's the be-all end-all for superhero cinema, because it's not.
Superhero stories are insanely popular right now, and there are different kinds of stories for different audiences. If someone wants to know how the spandex-clad super-people get it on, all they have to do is look to some of the more subversive fare like "The Boys," "Peacemaker," or even the animated "Harley Quinn" series. While there is an argument to be made about the mostly antiseptic state of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, even that has moments of sexuality sprinkled throughout. There's a sex scene in "Eternals," after all, and Gunn's "Guardians" movies know all about "pelvic sorcery." Maybe it's time that we stop talking about superhero cinema as a monolith when it's made up of so many different kinds of stories and perspectives, and started talking about these films and shows within their own context.
By next week, another journalist will have asked the same boring question and the internet will be up in arms once more. Until then, maybe we can have an ounce of nuance. You know, as a treat. If you need me, I'll be over here writing about Bat nipples and questioning Peacemaker's sexuality until the next time someone calls superheroes sexless.