James Gunn, co-chief of DC Studios, recently defended the upcoming film Clayface from fans questioning its need to exist. The Threads user commented, “Who the f–k asked for a Clayface movie?”

In response, fired back, “Who tf asked for Back to the Future? Casablanca? There’s Something About Mary? Pan’s Labyrinth? Fury Road? Weapons? The Matrix? Although it may seem like it, Hollywood isn’t a place where the only way to make a movie is the public voting on what IP they want to see that they’ve seen countless times before. Sometimes someone — in this case initially Mike Flanagan and then James Watkins and Hossein Amini — were inspired by a relatively little known fictional character and crafted what I believe is a very special story around that character. I’d take that inspiration a thousand times over some writer trying to make a buck by writing a listless screenplay about a majorly popular character he or she has no passion or feel for.”

James Gunn has always been very active on social media, and him responding top fan comments, complaints, or rumors is nothing new. Clayface is an unusual pick for a comic book movie, being a body horror film based on a B-list Batman villain, but Gunn made it clear that a strong idea from creatives can be more powerful than what fans want.

Clayface stars Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen, an actor whose face is horribly disfigured by a mob boss. In an attempt to repair his face and reclaim his former glory, Hagen undergoes a risky procedure with devastating consequences. The film hits theaters later this month on October 23.