James Gunn’s latest project Peacemaker on HBO Max has extended one of the director's casting records, and not the most famous one he's known for - his work with Nathan Fillion. The Suicide Squad director hasn't called Fillion back for Peacemaker (though there is still time since Fillion's TDK is known to still be alive), but he did rehire an even more prolific collaborator in a secret cameo in episode 5, "Monkey Dory": his best friend Stephen Blackehart
Working with the same actors is a mark of Gunn’s projects. He’s especially known for collaborating repeatedly with Nathan Fillion and Michael Rooker. He first worked with Fillion in a black comedy sci-fi film called Slither, which also starred Elizabeth Banks. From there, Fillion has been in every one of James Gunn's films, and can also be seen in some of the television series Gunn’s been involved with. Rooker is similar in that their first collaboration together was Slither, and he has since been added alongside Fillion to Gunn’s go-to guys for his directed films. He has yet to appear in a television series by Gunn, but only time will tell if this remains true.
Peacemaker’s cameo for Blackehart as Charlie the Gorilla makes him by far Gunn's most frequent collaborator, having first appeared way back in Gunn’s very first film, Tromeo and Juliet unlike Fillion and Rooker. Admittedly, Gunn wrote the script for the film but didn’t direct it, but even when Gunn's role has been as a producer, he has almost always found a role for Blackehart. The actor has collaborated with Gunn in twelve different projects, including Peacemaker. He has appeared in all of Gunn’s television projects so far, including the 1997 BBC program The Tromaville Café, which ran up until 2000. They’ve even worked together in a short series called PG Porn that Gunn wrote and directed.
Like Adam Sandler, Gunn has a fondness for casting the same people, especially those close to him, like family and friends. He does this because he likes to surround himself with a sense of affection. This method of casting the same people not only works to his benefit but also has technical advantages. Directors and actors working on multiple projects together, whether how big or small, help develop relationships. This builds trust and makes the working environment so much more comfortable for everyone else. Gunn’s affinity for casting the same actors is not limited to only him, which is proof that it is good practice in cultivating working relationships between directors and actors.
There are other positives to this as well. References and Easter eggs are easily created and discovered with familiar faces on screen. It’s also quite the treat for viewers who like those kinds of little things. Pom Klementieff’s cameo in The Suicide Squad for example was very subtle, but a lot of fans found great joy upon discovering it. Things like this also pose a bit of a surprise for both the viewers and Gunn. Like Elizabeth Ludlow in Peacemaker who also appears in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. It’s a familiar environment for the director, and it signals viewers to a director’s work. Every director has a mark of their own, and for Gunn, this is it.
