PETA named filmmaker James Gunn as its 2023 Person of the Year for his “compassionate work in championing animal rights.”
The organization shared in a blog post that Gunn “fiercely” promotes adoption and “expose[s] the torture that animals endure in laboratories to millions of viewers worldwide,” the latter of which refers to his work on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The Marvel Studios film touched on the horrifying backstory of Rocket Raccoon, who was the result of inhumane animal testing and was further subjected to even more cruel treatment as he grew. “It engaged a Marvel-sized audience with a thought-provoking narrative about the horrors of experiments on animals,” PETA wrote.
Gunn is also a father to three adopted animals: dogs Ozu and River and cat Emily, the last of which was rescued by the director as a stray. The organization noted that he regularly promotes the “Adopt Don’t Shop” mindset on social media, even telling the short story about how he adopted Ozu.
Earlier this year, Gunn received the “Not a Number” Award from PETA in recognition of his efforts in speaking up against animal abuse via Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. “Through Rocket, James Gunn has put a face, a name, and a personality on the millions of vulnerable animals being cycled through laboratories as we speak,” PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange previously said in a statement. “PETA is celebrating this as the best animal rights film of the year for helping audiences see animals as individuals and suggesting that just because we can experiment on them doesn’t mean that we should.”
