As a writer, I feel female and male: Director James Gunn

HE IS A MAN as a human being, but Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 helmer James Gunn says he is a “female and a male” in spirit when he picks up a pen. There’s one thing that ties together Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Slither and Dawn of the Dead - all of which he wrote. Gunn says it’s not intentional and comes naturally. “I think that as a human being, I am male but as a writer I feel like a female and a male. I have just always been attracted to female protagonists as a writer, whether in Slither or Dawn of the Dead,” Gunn said.

“I just feel these are natural characters, just like male characters. And in Guardians of the Galaxy, I found this idea of (exploring the relationship between) two sisters to be something that is not utilised much in films, especially in superhero movies. They are always about brothers, or father or son... I think in the first part too, having a movie about a mother and son was a unique thing for a superhero movie. I just like having everybody’s point of view. Growing up feeling like I was an outcast, I always wanted to tell stories of people who feel like they don’t have a voice,” he added.

Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Gunn’s tryst with filmmaking started with an eight-millimetre camera when he was 12. After writing and directing Slither in 2006 and Super in 2010, he made the right noise with superhero film franchise Guardians of the Galaxy.

Gunn asserts that he doesn’t think about diversity, but definitely about “trying to get as many different types of people in a film”.

“I will say that one of the greatest experiences that I ever had in casting was for the role of Mantis (essayed by Pom Klementieff). She is an Asian female in the comics and I thought that she should be an Asian female in the film too.” With a long and gruelling audition process for the role of Mantis, Gunn unearthed a reality of Hollywood. “It was a real testament to me that some people aren’t given as many chances as other people.”

Gunn said: “Everybody gets their piece of pie this time and that is what made this movie so much fun to me. Because I do come naturally from a place where I like telling ensemble stories about a bunch of characters as opposed to just one.”

I have just always been attracted to female protagonists as a writer, whether in Slither or Dawn of the Dead.” James Gunn