From the outset, writer-director James Gunn has always approached the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise with a very particular soundtrack in mind.
It’s part of the reason why the opening of Vol. 2 zips along at breakneck speed, as we follow little Baby Groot dancing along to Electric Light Orchestra without a care on the world – that is, until Drax is watching over his shoulder. Even Avengers: Infinity War is a good example of tethering Star-Lord and Co. to a specific piece of music (“Rubberband Man,” to be precise) so that the audience is well aware of the upcoming shift in tone.
But now that James Gunn and the Guardians series have ostensibly gone their separate ways, what will happen to the director’s choice of music for Awesome Mix Vol. 3? That’s the question posed by MCU Cosmic, so let’s dig into the weeds and see what’s in store.
First and foremost, the folks at MCU Cosmic begin by sampling a series of old tweets from James Gunn (not those ones) which evidently confirm that, before he was abruptly fired by Disney, Gunn had already composed a playlist for the Guardians’ next standalone adventure.
Via Twitter:
https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/933046774616309760
https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/933046998843846656
https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/933466686220410880
That last one is particularly telling. Given how Marvel Studios is expected to retain James Gunn’s original script, it’s nigh on certain that the music is as safe as houses, too, as you can’t really have one without the other.
There’s still a small chance that Disney will want to distance itself from the James Gunn brand and order a page-one rewrite, but at least so far, it seems the Mouse House isn’t prepared to throw out the baby with the bathwater.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is still on hold, of course, but we’ll be bringing you all the latest as this story develops.