James Gunn didn’t give any wiggle room…
Having formerly been a director at Marvel Studios, and having a new film yet to be released for said studio, puts James Gunn in a unique position. While he has made it known that, following Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), he will be finished at Marvel Studios, he’s still got a foot in both franchises, something which has upset some fans…
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Despite past issues, Gunn brought new life to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the superhero genre as a whole. Taking the Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) film and turning the genre on its head made for fantastic storytelling. Instead of taking the ragtag group too seriously, Gunn leaned into the comedy, the over-the-top ridiculousness of it all, and made a great product in which audiences could laugh along with the heroes but cry with them as well.
It only made sense, therefore, that Warner Bros Discovery would seek Gunn out to be co-CEO with Peter Safran. The latter, having been with DC for years, could help serve as a guide for continuity, and the former had that marked experience of being able to take an overly-serious franchise and help it see the lighter side. Despite a bumpy start, Gunn and Safran are still supremely confident. The fans, however? Not so much…
Since day one, fans of the former DC Extended Universe have been upset, with many calling for Gunn’s termination at the studio and the reinstatement of the Zack Snyder franchise and actors they were familiar with. This hasn’t discouraged the studio, or the co-CEO, as he continues pressing forward promoting both the new DC Universe, as well as his upcoming final entry into Kevin Feige’s Marvel Cinematic Universe, which many see as yet another issue.
The Direct reported on comments made by disgruntled fans who claimed that Gunn’s decision to promote Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was a conflict of interest and “the worst business DC could do,” claiming the whole situation was a disaster. Gunn fired back, defending his choice to promote the Marvel film, saying:
“The last thing DC would want is someone who would spend the last 12 years of his life creating a series of films, and then turn his back on the last movie he created and poured his heart and souls into, as well as his collaborators and the investors…I wasn’t hired at DC without everyone on board being very clear and supportive up front and continuously through this process.”
Though it’s a unique situation, Gunn’s explanation makes sense: not only was the DC Studio aware that he would still have this commitment with Marvel, but it would speak poorly to his experience as a director and showrunner to ignore the work that he’s done with Marvel since 2014. So, until Guardians has finished its run, and likely for sometime thereafter, James Gunn will have a stake in both franchises, which isn’t a bad thing for audiences.
Related: Marvel Cuts Two Guardians of the Galaxy From Series One Month Before Sequel
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 comes to theaters on May 5, 2023, and stars Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Zoë Saldaña as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax, Karen Gillen as Nebula, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, Vin Diesel as Groot, Sean Gunn as Kraglin, Chukwudi Iwuji as the High Evolutionary, and Will Poulter as Adam Warlock. The last entry into the Guardians franchise will see the team rally to protect Rocket (Cooper) on their most perilous mission yet.
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