The removal of James Gunn from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has been one of the biggest superhero blockbuster shake-ups in years – and in a surprise move, Gunn looks set to swap the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the DCEU. According to Entertainment Weekly, he’s been nabbed by Warner Bros to write Suicide Squad 2, with a view to possibly also direct.
It’s a move that makes sense for Gunn – with his Guardians films, he proved a knack for writing rag-tag teams of unlikely heroes, and his previous films like Slither and Super are indicative of how pitch-black his comedy instincts go. His sensibilities combined with the harder-edged DC universe could be a smart match. It’s thought that Gunn’s Suicide Squad will overhaul the previous film and bring a new take on DC’s anti-hero team. Original Suicide Squad director David Ayer has supported Gunn’s appointment on Twitter, writing: “I think it’s an incredibly brave and smart move by the studio. James is the right man for the job!” And it seems like Dave Bautista, Guardians’ Drax the Destroyer is keen to work again with his former director, tweeting: “Where do I sign up!”
Gunn was fired from the upcoming cosmic Marvel movie in July, when offensive historic joke tweets – including ones about paedophilia and rape – were brought to light. The filmmaker later issued a statement, reading: “My words of nearly a decade ago were, at the time, totally failed and unfortunate efforts to be provocative. I have regretted them for many years since — not just because they were stupid, not at all funny, wildly insensitive, and certainly not provocative like I had hoped, but also because they don’t reflect the person I am today or have been for some time.
“Regardless of how much time has passed, I understand and accept the business decisions taken today. Even these many years later, I take full responsibility for the way I conducted myself then. All I can do now, beyond offering my sincere and heartfelt regret, is to be the best human being I can be: accepting, understanding, committed to equality, and far more thoughtful about my public statements and my obligations to our public discourse. To everyone inside my industry and beyond, I again offer my deepest apologies. Love to all.”
Despite a supportive statement from the Guardians cast and a fan petition to have Gunn reinstated, Disney chairman Alan Horn confirmed that the director would not be re-hired to the project. Guardians 3 is currently on hold, and it’s as yet unknown whether Gunn’s completed script will be used if the film goes back into production.
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