James Gunn Trashes MAGA, Praises Communist China

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Priorities, priorities.

“Superman” director James Gunn knows where his bread is buttered. Or, at least he thinks he does.

In simpler terms, after an intense promotional campaign for his Man of Steel remake, Gunn criticized Trump’s supporters in The Times of London. He labeled his latest work as a tribute to migration, merging both legal and illegal immigration in a way that some liberal critics might find misleading.

Instead, Gunn made an even bigger statement. He remarked, “disregard” those who don’t share his perspective. Unsurprisingly, his words quickly spread across the internet. It seems he was expecting this response.

If he didn’t, he’s more of an alien to Earth than his title character.

Despite expressing criticism, Gunn also took the opportunity to commend Communist China during his media interactions in China.

During his trip to China, Gunn expressed that “Superman” is a film suitable for everyone worldwide, but holds a special significance for Chinese audiences. He explained that China is a crucial location for him as it’s where he mastered the art of filmmaking and cultivated his passion for movie-making.

It got even more embarrassing.

Despite having visited China just once prior, it feels remarkably familiar and homely to me,” Gunn expressed enthusiastically. “These films were my inspiration – they hold a special place in creating this experience.

At least he didn’t speak in Mandarin like a certain action movie star.

Gunn doesn’t speak of his homeland in such terms. He has publicly likened President Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler on several occasions. Incredibly, he didn’t use Superman’s famous phrase, “Truth, justice, and the American way,” in his movie either.

Except his China pandering went for naught. And he should have known better.

In recent times, American movies haven’t been performing as well in China compared to several years back, during which U.S. blockbusters significantly boosted their earnings in the region.

“Avengers: Endgame” earned a staggering $632 million in the Communist country.

Back then, the cinematic landscape was dominated by films from other countries. However, today, Chinese filmmakers have stepped up their game to produce movies that match or even surpass U.S. productions in terms of special effects and overall quality. This trend is not surprising since Chinese audiences tend to favor local narratives that resonate with them.

It’s not surprising that Gunn’s “Superman” film didn’t do well in China, and it’s expected to earn less than $10 million during its opening week. This is a significant financial setback for a movie with a high production budget, estimated to be anywhere from $225 million (as stated by Warner Bros.) to $363 million (from official tax documents).

And that doesn’t include the marketing millions spent on the title.

It’s plausible that Gunn found reasons to commend China, despite its history of human rights issues, because he hoped a larger number of Chinese citizens would watch his movie. On the other hand, he might have criticized the MAGA ideology, hoping to discourage fewer right-leaning Americans from viewing it.

Is there any other answer that makes sense?

What stands out more to Gunn is the actions of Chinese officials detaining Uyghur people in centers resembling concentration camps, suppressing free speech, rather than Trump supporters demanding secure borders and energy self-sufficiency.

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2025-07-14 18:03