The division and tribalism running rampant among fans of the industry’s two biggest superhero franchises are running deeper than ever, and James Gunn has inevitably found himself at the center of the storm.
Those with an affinity for the SnyderVerse can’t reckon with the fact he’s made it patently clear he’s not going to resurrect or restore Zack Snyder’s corner of the DCU, while there are plenty outside of that particular bubble who remain skeptical that he’s the right man to oversee the last reinvention of the beleaguered comic book monolith.
Over on the other side of the divide, Marvel defenders have branded him a traitor for fleeing and shacking up with the opposition, even though there’s a chance it could end up being Kevin Feige’s most devastating blow yet. Whatever ends up splitting opinion, there’s a high possibility Gunn will be hovering somewhere in the background, but he’s finally managed to heal the divisions.
How has he managed to do it? By doing what a large amount of people have done already, and completely ignoring the fact Thor: Love and Thunder even existed, never mind featured the Guardians of the Galaxy in its opening act.
We’d love to know what Gunn thought of Taika Waititi seizing hold of his characters for another classic Thor adventure, but Vol. 3 didn’t make so much as a single mention of their escapades with the Odinson, leaving the variant version of Gamora as the only significant connective tissue to either Love and Thunder, Avengers: Infinity War, or Endgame.
Chris Hemsworth’s fourth solo outing was a huge letdown, so maybe we should all take a page out of Gunn’s book and ignore it.