James Gunn Earns Bigger Role For Marvel Studios Post-‘Infinity War’
Published on June 8th, 2017 | Updated on June 8th, 2017 | By FanFest
Just to think ten years ago that James Gunn was only known as the writer of both Scooby Doo and Dawn of the Dead, with his horror comedy Slither slowly becoming a cult classic. It’s 2017 and now, after years of following the beat to his own drum, Gunn has finally found his path. After next year, he’ll become the master and commander of the Marvel Cosmic Universe.
James Gunn had a lengthy interview with Eric Goldman at IGN and, while discussing the new Guardians of the Galaxy ride at Walt Disney World, the conversation strayed back to the Marvel Cinematic Universe following 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War. While many fans have hoped that Gunn sticks with Marvel Studios following Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3, it turns out that the writer/director in more invested than expected. In fact, Gunn discusses the future with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige quite frequently;
“We talk about it all the time. It’s already a part of what I’m doing with Marvel and the conversations that Kevin and I have every day. When we’re talking about Guardians of the Galaxy 3, and that story, that’s a story that will lead to other stories. It’s innate to the DNA that that’s the end of a trilogy but it’s the beginning of a whole other element of the Marvel Cosmic universe. That’s a part of what I’m doing now.”
James Gunn has definitely earned the right to guide Marvel’s future ventures into the cosmos. Volume 3 will wrap up the stories of the current team and, unlike the recent sequel that picks up months following the 2014 original, will occur years later. 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy was Gunn’s biggest project to date, grossed $773 million against a $170 million budget. Now, in 2017, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 has grossed $820 million to date on a $200 million budget. Arguably Gunn has made two of the top five MCU movies to date. There’s certainly no harm in keeping him around even longer.
Who knows what Gunn could have in store, but the possibilities are endless. A solo Kraglin film? New adventures with Howard the Duck? Or maybe a Ravagers film as teased at the end of Volume 2? Well, for now, we’ll have to make do with what he’s delivered to fans and just wait in wonder. Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 is still in theaters, while Avengers: Infinity War hits theaters on May 4th 2018.
Jerrold spent his childhood in southeastern Pennsylvania ingesting far too many TV shows and movies, thus creating a stark-raving mad geek. He’s a movie aficionado, binge-watches Netflix, and is a total TV junkie. His addiction has led to an unhealthy and rabid obsession of various geek pantheons – Star Trek, Star Wars, both DC *AND* Marvel,
cult 80’s and 90’s television, Supernatural, The X-Files, Doctor Who, and, and…holy overload. He’s still waiting to run away in a 1967 Impala or a blue police box.
