Every fan of a massive multimedia franchise has some grievances with the treatment of their favorite fictional characters. No matter how devoted they might be to their favorite cinematic universe, they'd change a few things. James Gunn already knew that simple fact, but he's now learning firsthand that the fans of the DC Universe never fail to impress when it comes to outward hostility.

Every big franchise has one or two names at the top of the pile. Everyone knows to blame Kevin Feige when Marvel makes a choice they don't like. We only hear about Kathleen Kennedy when an unpopular Star Wars film comes out. James Gunn joins the illustrious ranks, with an extra dash of hate from the people who love the DCU.

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After years of messy and tumultuous cinematic outings, the film franchise that owns many of the most beloved superheroes of all time has changed leadership. James Gunn moves from his successful role as the director and showrunner of The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker to the overall co-chair of DC Studios. In only a few weeks, Gunn's DCU has canceled projects, announced new adaptations, fired beloved actors, and generally changed the entire direction of the franchise. The fact that some would be annoyed at the big shift was a foregone conclusion, but the reaction of the fanbase has gone beyond the pale. Gunn has received a veritable onslaught of online hate. Though he's one of the few big names willing to interact directly with fans and enemies, it's been overwhelming. It's fair to say that any fanbase would be incensed by a large-scale rearrangement of an entire franchise, but the DC stans have lived up to the reputation they've earned.

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The relationship between the audience and the DCU has never been anything other than hostile. While other franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe have a general sense of consensus among their fanbase, there is a massive schism in the DC fanbase. The franchise's earliest days were dominated by Zack Snyder, perhaps the most controversial director working today. To this day, a percentage of the movie-going audience vociferously demands the full restoration of the so-called "Snyderverse." They make that demand with flagrant disregard for the other percentages of the audience, most of whom want every aspect of Snyder's influence eradicated immediately. This inherent dispute between one version of the DCU and the other ensures that there's nothing but hate in the franchise's future.

The ongoing war among Star Wars fans is the closest equivalent to the DCU's current state. Since the release of the sequel trilogy, Disney has been terrified to introduce any new canon to the franchise timeline. The Force Awakens was generally pretty well received, but the moderately progressive casting provoked controversy among outspoken bigots in the fanbase. The conflict didn't reach its fever pitch until the release of The Last Jedi. That film's treatment of established characters and the elevation of new ones led some fans to call for the death of the entire franchise. No Star Wars project can come to the screen today without people bringing up the sequel trilogy as a negative comparison point. Some love Episode VII while others hate it. Both sides represent a different view of the ongoing story, but there is some middle-ground. While some elements of the franchise can reach across the aisle, the conflict among the DCU fanbase is much more hostile.

The Snyder fans will not settle for anything less than the erasure of every aspect of the franchise that wasn't introduced by their chosen one. Casual fans of Snyder's work might bristle at the idea of changing everything, but the real devotees will remain unhappy until their hero is given full control again. In many ways, it's comparable to modern political discourse. Some just want their party to be in charge, but there's one voice in the industry who commands a slavering cult and his supporters will burn the world down as long as he's in charge of the ashes. James Gunn will deal with opposition from people who don't like his work, people who preferred the old franchise, and people who can't stand either, but the real hate stems from a single source.

Polka Dot Man, Peacemaker, Bloodsport, and Ratcatcher II in The Suicide Squad

James Gunn represents a changing of the guard for the DCU. The hate was an expected side effect of the change, but something had to be done. At its heart, the franchise is permanently divided between unpleasable cultists and a diverse array of unique fans with differing interests. Gunn can't please everyone, but that doesn't excuse the rampant abuse hurled at him and other creators in the wake of the creative changes. Online hate is the standard operating procedure for modern cinema, especially in the big franchise houses. James Gunn will be okay, he's one of the best in the business when it comes to shaking off hate, but this level of vitriol should be condemned by anyone paying attention. One wonders what the heroes on the screen would have to say about the threats and bile hurled at the people charged with their portrayals.

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