Spoiler alert! New DC Comics Director Doesn’t Like Burton’s Batmans!
Recently, James Gunn, the director of Guardians of the Galaxy, made some comments that have upset fans of Tim Burton’s shadow superhero projects. These old comments resurfaced on social media platforms and caused quite a stir. Screenshots shared on Twitter revealed Gunn’s criticisms, such as calling Michael Keaton’s Batman voice “ridiculous”. Gunn also expressed his preference for less violent action sequences and acting that is more in line with the Batman TV series. He even described Jack Nicholson’s Joker as a version of Jack Torrance from The Shining with “shitty clown makeup”. The director didn’t stop at criticizing Burton’s work but also took a jab at Christopher Nolan’s films.
These remarks did not go down well with fans, who voiced their dissatisfaction. One Twitter account that shared the screenshots sarcastically commented, “No wonder James Gunn loved The Flash so much,” making a reference to Batman’s death in the movie.
Batman movies misunderstood according to Tim Burton
It’s not the first time Tim Burton’s Batman movies have faced negative comments. When the second part was released in 1992, a critic argued that Batman, the supposed central character of the films, was overshadowed by other characters. The critic stated, “The winged character remains relatively upright and honest, presenting limited interest to the film crew.” The review further added, “He actually spends most of his time being humiliated by his very imaginative opponents.” Burton had a different vision for Batman and felt that people didn’t understand the essence of the character. He wanted Batman to remain hidden, in the shadows, and reveal as little as possible about himself.