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As of 2025, one of the most expensive filmmakers working in Hollywood right now happens to be James Gunn. The chief of the DC Studios has the responsibility of lifting an entire franchise off the ground and the failure to do so could lead to his exile from the industry for good. However, before Gunn became the bearer of the DCU, he crafted films likeScooby-Doo, that laid down the grounds for his eventual ascension to a lofty post at Warner Bros.

James Gunn’s Scooby-Doo [Credit: Warner Bros.]

TheScooby-Doofranchise has been an essential part and parcel of every kid from the 70s to the present day. The animated cartoon series was loved and adored by the children growing up in a post-World War generation, defined by traces of horror from a bygone era. With a healthy blend of the supernatural and the cynical,Scooby-Dooleft an indelible impression on audiences all over the world and continues to do so to this day with its unfailing creativity.

The rocky start ofScooby-Dooin James Gunn’s vision

For a director as eccentric and creative asJames Gunn, a film as canonically iconic and irreverent asScooby-Doowas a perfect jump-off point to leave an impression in the industry. Considering Gunn’s skills withcaricaturish characters and bizarre storylines, not only did the film do well at the box office but was received resoundingly well by audiences of every age group, too.

However, the theatrical cut of the 2002Scooby-Doofilm was not molded entirely in accordance with James Gunn’s vision. Decades later, the director revealed how his original script was meant to be more inclusive, adult-friendly, raunchier, and more explicit than what was shown in the family film.

Scooby-Doo [Credit: Warner Bros.]

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In a 2017 Facebook post, Gunn revealed that a few aspects of his film were so over-the-top that the MPAA was forced to color the film with an R-rating before making the director censor and edit out parts ofScooby-Dooto make it more PG-friendly for the kids.

James Gunn’sScooby-Doofilm was definitely edgy

Often, studios end up censoring too much of a film to ruin a director’s entire artistic vision. Projects likeJustice LeagueandThe Witcherhave suffered because of interference from the studio or the producers’ part. However, the era of public court and Cancel Culture has made it infinitely more difficult for execs to get away with their prying and censorship these days.

As such, it was 15 years before James Gunn would feel comfortable enough to open up about hisScooby-Doofilm made in 2002. At the time, the audience was more than elated and awed by the live-action movie of the evergreen and adored cartoon. However, in hindsight, Gunn’s original (scrapped) vision for the film would have been radically revolutionary in the early Noughties.

Take Cover, James Gunn: Matt Reeves’ Plans for The Penguin Season 2 and The Batman 2 Is Leading To a Deadly Trap That Took Down Even the Mighty MCU

As revealed in the 2017 Facebook post (viaNo But Listen), Gunn said:

I had written an edgier film geared toward older kids and adults, and the studio ended pushing it into a clean-cut children’s film. And, yes, the rumors are true – the first cut was rated R by the MPAA.

Scooby-Doo [Credit: Warner Bros.]

In his scrapped R-rated version ofScooby-Doo, Velma is openly gay, Daphne is bisexual, both characters share an on-screen kiss, Shaggy’s stoner identity is canonically established as he is shown smoking weed on-screen, Velma dances in a bikini after getting possessed, and the female characters show a little too much cleavage for Warner Bros.’ liking.

The Time James Gunn Didn’t Hesitate to Call Martin Scorsese’s $182 Million Movie Remake “Not a Great Film”

Although theScooby-Doofilm fundamentally retained all of its wonderful aspects that made the franchise so iconic through the past half-century,James Gunn’s visionwas so radically out of left field that the studio felt it was better to tone it down for a wider audience, thus making it PG-13.

Scooby-Doois available to stream on Max.

Diya Majumdar

Senior Writer

Articles Published :2409

Diya Majumdar is a Senior Content Writer at FandomWire with over 2000 published articles on the website. Since 2022, she has been working as an entertainment journalist with a special focus on films and pop culture.Among the countless genres and themes of Hollywood, the ones that particularly favor Diya’s tastes include Game of Thrones, DC, and well-aged thrillers and classics.

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