Readers React: Sean Penn Playing a Veteran?!

When we first dropped news about Sean Penn portraying a veteran in The Gunman, we did not predict the type of reaction the article received. A divisive figure, Sean Penn has been an outspoken, left-leaning political activist for a very long time. He protested against the Iraq war before it even began, is vocally anti-gun, and advocates for same-sex marriage. More controversially, Penn has openly defended former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, and even proclaimed that anyone who called Chavez a dictator should be arrested.

Considering his staunch political stances, the idea of Penn portraying a veteran of the U.S. military is unsettling to a few of our readers. Would you see The Gunman in spite of Penn’s politics, or is his association distasteful enough for you to forego the move entirely?

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Here are a few reactions we've received about Penn’s involvement:

For:

"Sean Penn is a citizen we can all be proud of."
–guest

"One of the best actors of his generation."
–Therunner

Against:

"Will not see the movie. Do not like Mr. Penn and his politics."
–11C5P

"Anti Gun yet makes money glorifying criminal and dangerous gun use. Hypocrite and a complete ***hole with arms and legs."
–galloglas

"I would not see anything with Sean Penn who is an anti-American bum who claims to hate capitalism but makes tons of money off his movies. He is a hypocrite and not a person that I want anything to do with."
–Walter Pry

"I cannot believe that anyone other than his Mother thinks that this man can act."
–Richmond

"The same Sean Penn that praised Hugo Chavez? I won't be paying money for any of his movies."
–bbabbitt

"Hugo Chavez and Sadam? yeah, I want to see how this idiot portrays a true American Vet."
–o2foru2

"Anti-gun, anti-military, anti-American.... Pretty well covers why I won't spend my money on anything he does."
–Dan