There's been a lot of high-profile superhero hate going around Hollywood lately, with Jack Black's song about sequels and "formulaic scripts" at the Oscars garnering the most attention. Now, "Guardians of the Galaxy" director James Gunn is firing back at sharp-tongued critics, writing an open letter on his Facebook page in defense of the genre and its passionate filmmakers (himself included).

Black's remarks weren't really what set Gunn off, the director explained, writing that while the song seemed a bit lazily-written, it was obviously a joke. What really got him mad, he said, were remarks from "Nightcrawler" director Dan Gilroy, who said during the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday night that the industry was plagued by a "tsunami of superhero movies."

Noting that Gilroy's wife, Rene Russo, actually starred in two "Thor" films, Gunn said the irony of Gilroy and Black's comments was that they implied that all the makers of superhero films were lazy, unintelligent, or uncaring -- a sentiment that Gunn vehemently denies. He writes:

Whatever the case, the truth is, popular fare in any medium has always been snubbed by the self-appointed elite. ... What bothers me slightly is that many people assume because you make big films that you put less love, care, and thought into them then people do who make independent films or who make what are considered more serious Hollywood films.

[...]

If you think people who make superhero movies are dumb, come out and say we're dumb. But if you, as an independent filmmaker or a "serious" filmmaker, think you put more love into your characters than the Russo Brothers do Captain America, or Joss Whedon does the Hulk, or I do a talking raccoon, you are simply mistaken.

Check out Gunn's complete post below.

[via: James Gunn, h/t The Hollywood Reporter]

Photo credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez via Getty Images