The recent revelation that Steve Rogers, Captain America himself, was a HYDRA agent all this time, is controversial – to say the least. A massive amount of public outcry has risen up against Marvel Comics' decision to revive the Rogers variant of the character with such a face smacking twist. Yet, amidst the noise and the fighting, a voice of reason has peaked out of the rubble – James Gunn.
Taking to his Facebook page to address those fans who took a more aggressive stance against the recent decision, Gunn put the issue to rest in one, fell swoop, as seen below:
If you're a forty-year-old dude claiming a comics company ruined your childhood because of a plot twist, you might consider that your childhood really wasn't that great to begin with.
Of course, the internet being what it is, a backlash rose against James Gunn's response to the backlash. While Guardians of the Galaxy is his corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, some believed that he had somehow fought for the twist in the Captain America comics. Others on an even darker side of the spectrum wished harm against Gunn's pet cat, Emily. Though James Gunn's argument was a short, pithy affair with not much background for his argument, the response should have been loud and clear: it really is a crummy way to look at life if you think your childhood hinged on a plot point in a comic book. That said, there was a piece of the argument that James Gunn didn't argue in his short missive, that he would later address in a longer, more detailed statement.
The fact still remains that despite the horrific response of fans of the Captain America franchise, there is a lot of history that fans have identified with throughout the 75 year run of the character. Cap has become a symbol of a brand of high flying patriotism that you just don't see these days, especially when that patriotism was also found with a heaping dose of understanding and acceptance of all types. So to change the character into a HYDRA / Nazi agent that basically turned his back on such beliefs could be seen as a theoretical "betrayal" to the fans who loved him for those reasons. James Gunn comes to the rescue again, as he tried to bridge the gap between the less sensible and more level headed fans, with the below follow-up on the issue at hand.
As Gunn said above, it's ok to hate this decision. It's even perfectly fine to vent on the internet about not liking this new direction the Captain America comic series is taking. However, the fine line between venting and going overboard with threats and rants that lob insults is one that we fans must keep in mind when arguing the point of such a development. It's ok to feel that Marvel Comics is pulling another publicity stunt to boost comic sales, but it's not ok to threaten someone's cat because they feel that you should chill out about a decision that doesn't retroactively threaten your childhood.
If you're afraid your childhood will be ruined, then it's probably not a good idea to see James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, which is scheduled to rock it out on May 5, 2017. It's also advised that you avoid X-Men: Apocalypse, which is in theaters now, and Doctor Strange, which is set for a November 4th release date. But if you're ready to keep an open mind, and enjoy some distracting entertainment, as well as some vigorous discussion on the internet, then we'll see you at the movies.
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