James Gunn reveals that he would love to cast Big Brother alums in DCU

James Gunn, the head of the creative department of DC movies and shows, is a huge fan of the reality show Big Brother. He even appeared on the show Big Brother: Unlocked as a celebrity guest on a panel chatting about the show's current season.

In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, James Gunn was delighted to discuss the idea of taking former reality TV houseguests into the DC Universe. At this point it is just an idea. It seems James Gunn is combining both his obsession with reality TV and his profession of producing big DC hits.

What James Gunn said

Gunn does not intend to make reality celebrities superheroes. Rather, he wants small, fun cameos, such as a brief appearance by a Big Brother alum as a cashier or just standing in the background. He likened it to what Mike White had done on The White Lotus, in which former Survivor contestants made small surprise cameos.

In a conversation with Entertainment Weekly, James Gunn claimed:

“I've become very friendly with [winners] Taylor [Hale] and Derrick [Levasseur]....And so if they want a cameo in a DC project in the future — not necessarily with dialogue, but if they want to come by and do what other people have been doing in my movies for so long, they're more than welcome to do that.”

He added,

“I don't know if I see Derrick as necessarily somebody who would be a great actor. So I don't know if I see them as characters. But they could be a cashier or something.”

Why James Gunn's reality-show cameo idea makes sense

The idea presented by Gunn does make sense in some ways. Firstly, he’s a true Big Brother fan. A filmmaker who genuinely loves a show will seek out little, endearing ways to make it a part of his/her own creation. A brief cameo is ideal and does not alter the story, offering it a light touch instead.

Second, most people are already familiar with the reality TV stars. It could create a great deal of hype and buzz on social media when fans spot a Big Brother alum in the background of a scene. These are small moments that the supporters enjoy. James Gunn has even cited Mike White’s approach, in which reality stars receive small, catchy roles that seem to come across as a friendly pat on the back rather than a crass stunt.

Lastly, it’s smart marketing. The regular viewer will not feel lost, and the hardcore fans will have a fun surprise. Everyone wins.

What kinds of roles would actually work in the DCU?

Gunn’s “cashier” remark at the Entertainment Weekly interview set the mood straight away: he is envisioning commonplace roles, where a well-known face from a reality TV show might turn up in the DCU without making a splash. Imagine a barista who is serving coffee, a bus driver who has opened the doors, a clerk in a comic store or a red-carpet photographer in the background.

It is these little details that make a cameo look natural, as part of the world rather than screaming at the viewer to notice it. Filmmakers are fond of small scenes like some funny news anchor reading a strange headline, a guest in a diner responding to the spectacular entrance of a hero, or a random passerby uttering a dialogue that fans turn into a meme.

James Gunn clarified that he is not going to give reality stars large-scale superhero parts. He simply sees them as fun background details and Easter eggs that put the DC Universe in our lives and make it seem refreshingly real.

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