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James Gunn has revealed that reality star Rick Devens was supposed to have a cameo in the Superman sequel — but then he joined the cast of Big Brother.
Fans learned of the friendship between Gunn and Devens, a former news anchor who is known for competing on multiple seasons of Survivor, when Devens name-dropped the famous filmmaker after sharing his vote to evict during the live broadcast of Thursday’s episode.
The DC Studios co-chairman shared the clip of Devens’ shoutout on social media after the episode, writing, “Thanks to the shoutout from my friend.”
The post then prompted one of Gunn’s followers to ask if he would be in his upcoming movie Man of Tomorrow.
“No because he’s on Big Brother! Otherwise he would have been,” Gunn wrote Saturday on Threads.
James Gunn has spoken out about his friendship with ‘Big Brother’ star Rick Devens (Getty Images)
When another follower asked Gunn if the pair actually knew each other, the filmmaker confirmed that they do.
“He was gonna appear in the background of MoT but he had to cancel (his awesome wife and kids still came),” Gunn said. “He couldn’t tell me why but told me I’d be excited. Obviously I was!”
Gunn did not say how or when his and Devens’ friendship began, but the Guardians of the Galaxy director has previously spoken about his love for reality television.
Devens is currently competing on Big Brother season 28 for a $750,000 cash prize. He previously finished in fourth place on Survivor: Edge of Extinction in 2019 and returned for Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans earlier this year, where he placed seventh in the CBS competition.
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While Devens missed out on a cameo role in Man of Tomorrow, the film will star David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan and Nicholas Hoult returning as Clark Kent/Superman, Lois Lane and Lex Luthor, respectively.
Gunn previously announced that Man of Tomorrow will arrive on July 9, 2027. Superman opened with $125 million at the domestic box office and went on to gross $300 million nationwide.
The director is no stranger to cameos — especially from A-list stars. After Bradley Cooper surprised Superman audiences with his role as the Man of Steel’s birth father, Gunn explained that he chose the actor — who he described as a personal friend — because of his “stature.”
“I needed somebody who could play Jor-El, who had the stature of what we imagine that character to be,” he said of Superman’s otherwordly father. “Somebody that could walk in the footsteps of Marlon Brando.”