DC Studios Co-Head James Gunn is extremely involved with the fans and often answers several fan queries over social media platforms. Gunn, who is shaping the new DC Universe while working on writing and directing the upcoming Superman: Legacy, addressed a fan’s query about the casting process for the DC movies going forward.
On the social media platform Threads, Gunn was asked whether there would be any open casting calls for the roles in the new DCU. However, Gunn was skeptical of this casting approach despite open casting calls producing actors such as Harrison Ford and Ryan Gosling. Here is what James Gunn said about holding open casting calls for DCU roles.
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James Gunn Talks About the Difficulties Of An Open Casting Call
James Gunn is currently busy prepping to start production on Superman: Legacy. However, The Suicide Squad director took some time out of his schedule to interact with fans on social media. On Threads, Gunn answered several questions about plans for the new DCU.
Amidst the several questions, a fan asked Gunn whether he would hold any open casting calls for DCU roles. Gunn responded with skepticism towards the idea of open casting calls and highlighted the difficulty of the process.
“I’ve done open casting calls & they’re difficult because you get thousands upon thousands of people auditioning & less than 0.1% of them are as good as the average actor who comes through the door with an agent.”
Gunn made the above statement, implying that actors who come with an agency representation have proven acting skills. Thus, casting through agents is a more reliable process.
However, Gunn did not completely rule out open casting calls for certain roles that require very specific types of actors. However, based on Gunn’s comment it is safe to assume that all major DCU roles will be cast through talent agencies and agents and not via open casting calls.
Open Casting Calls Lead to Discovery of Actors Like Harrison Ford and Ryan Gosling
Despite James Gunn’s underlying skepticism towards the process of open casting, it has proven to be one of the most successful casting traditions in Hollywood. Some of the most famous actors got their big breaks after impressing the casting directors at open castings. These actors include Harrison Ford who is known for his roles as Indiana Jones and Han Solo.
A part-time actor and carpenter in the 70s, Ford was discovered by George Lucas when the director hired him to build cabinets for his home. However, Ford was cast in Lucas’ American Graffiti before nabbing the role of Han Solo through an open casting call for Lucas’ Star Wars, where he was initially brought in as a stand-in line reader.
Similarly, Ryan Golsing, known for roles in Barbie and Blade Runner 2049, got his first break through an open casting. Golsing landed a role in The All-New Mickey Mouse Club, which eventually led him to superstardom. As a result, the open casting call process has undeniably granted Hollywood some of its biggest stars.
The open casting allows directors to find fresh faces that can embody their characters without any pre-existing audience notion, a factor that is crucial in superhero movies. Therefore, it will be interesting to see whether Gunn’s decision not to rely on the process proves to benefit the new DCU or leads to saturation in casting choices.
