What James Gunn’s Firing From Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Means For Marvel

Time has passed, and Disney’s shocking dismissal of Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn is now in our collective, rear-view mirror. However, the fallout of this move is showing no signs of disappearing any time soon. The abrupt parting of studio and filmmaker (over the latter’s controversial tweets) is a constant source of debate online. And after every new development, more arguments and ethical questions arise. Is it fair to judge someone so long after the original event? Was Disney right to fire Gunn so quickly? How much should context be considered in situations like this? And, when less-than savory characters are clearly muddying the waters for their own ends, how much should this apply? It’s a moral minefield to be sure. Nevertheless, if Disney continues to stand by their decision, Gunn’s firing will have direct consequences on the studio that spurned him, as well as the movie industry at large. And here, we dive right into the situation and explore its vast ramifications. What Does The Future Hold For Guardians Vol. 3? The most obvious casualty of James Gunn’s dismissal will be Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Sure, in the grand scheme of things, the fate of the threequel is probably the least concerning aspect of this whole debacle. But we’re all film fans here, and we’d be lying if we said we didn’t have our doubts about the upcoming blockbuster. It's highly unlikely that the pic will be cancelled; the characters are way too marketable for that. Indeed, the Guardians series has undoubtedly been one of the standout strands in the widening web of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s thanks to James Gunn’s unique blend of heart and scrappy humor that ensured that these C-list comic book characters became household favorites. Before he was fired, Gunn was preparing to return for Vol. 3, which was set to be a spectacular home run for the trilogy. But now that he's no longer in the picture, it could be more of a half-hearted hobble to the finish line. How so? Well, let’s face it: whoever Kevin Feige chooses to replace Gunn will already be on the back foot as soon as they're appointed. It’s daunting enough for filmmakers to take the reins of a successful franchise. But under such a cloud of controversy and nastiness, Guardians Vol. 3 is sure to be a pressuring prospect. Plus, there’s a historical precedent for threequels generally underwhelming, especially when there’s a change of director (looking at you, Shrek the Third, X-Men: The Last Stand, Star Trek Beyond and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines). Even in the few films that manage the transfer successfully, there’s at least some sort of stylistic disconnect from their predecessors, as it was with Thor: Ragnarok. And speaking of Ragnarok, director Taika Waititi has emerged as the most popular replacement for Vol. 3. Because, the crux of the Guardians issue is this: who could replicate James Gunn’s distinctive style? Can Gunn’s Guardians Formula Be Replicated? Out of the ever-growing list of movies set in the MCU, Ragnarok is the one which resembles Guardians’ style closest. With his delightfully offbeat sensibilities - and an appreciation for Jack Kirby’s art - Taika Waititi could be well suited to that bunch of bickering a-holes. Yet the situation may not be that clean cut. For one thing, Waititi may not wish to round off yet another Marvel trilogy, when he could work on projects of his own, such as Jojo Rabbit. Additionally, in our clamoring for Waititi we're assuming that he'll want to follow the path that's been already laid out in James Gunn’s script – which is a thorny issue in itself. Gunn submitted his first draft of Vol. 3’s script in mid-2018, with Marvel tentatively hoping to start production in the early months of 2019. When they fired Gunn, Disney chairman Alan Horn announced that they were severing all business ties with the disgraced director. So, where does that leave the script and the release date? Will Disney and Marvel risk the internet’s wrath and use Gunn’s drafts, therefore earning him a credit on the finished product? Or will they want to wash their hands of him entirely? Dave Bautista has threatened to quit the franchise if the latter eventuality wins out. Yet even if Disney does choose to use Gunn’s work, it may be disregarded further down the line anyway. Taika Waititi famously favored an improvisational method on the set of Rangarok, which resulted in many of the movies’ best – and most humorous – moments. Indeed, he’s also stressed how keen he was to deviate from the Thor films that came before. Nowhere is that more clear than the pic’s first half hour, where major hanging plot lines are swiftly resolved, and fan-favorite staples (the Warriors Three) are sidelined. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this by any means. A great many directors like to leave their own mark on the movies they work on. But we might end up with a decidedly different Guardians threequel if Gunn’s script is disregarded. After all, the script is the source of the series’ humor, and its clear sense of character. It’s also where those kick-ass soundtrack choices come into play. Gunn has frequently discussed how he carefully chose each track to accompany the script, using them to emphasize the changes within the narrative. In short, whatever your feelings on James Gunn may be, his scripts are a huge part of the series’ success. Though it would not be impossible to replicate something similar to his two Guardians movies, it would be darn difficult for any new director. This newcomer may not even want to mimic his modus operandi anyway. Therefore, when Marvel choose their replacement, we moviegoers should expect some sort of deviation from Gunn’s Guardians films in Vol. 3. And there may be a sizable change in the MCU as well. Marvel Has Lost One Of Its Maestros It’s not an overstatement to say that Guardians of the Galaxy remains one of the most influential superhero movies ever made. Thanks to the darker, grittier batch of blockbusters which dominated the early-mid 2000s, comic book adaptations didn’t truly let loose until The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy came along. The irreverence and humor of the latter undoubtedly helped convince 20th Century Fox to green light Deadpool, and prompted Marvel to expand into even wackier, funnier sectors. As adoration for the Guardians has grown, the higher ups at Marvel have been convinced to prioritize cosmic capers from Phase 4 onward. The Eternals is expected to be at the forefront of this new wave. Thanks to his success at adapting the Guardians, it's very safe to assume that James Gunn would have had some sort of hand in this process, too. After all, it’s clear that he was being given a growing responsibility within the company. Furthermore, due to his advanced age and failing health, Marvel icon Stan Lee filmed a batch of cameos over one single day several years ago. It was soon revealed that James Gunn had been called upon to orchestrate these recent - and impending – scenes. Plus, he was given final say over the use of the Guardians, their dialogue, and their soundtrack choices in Avengers: Infinity War, and presumably in Avengers 4 as well. In essence, Marvel has lost a major, guiding influence for its future space-bound adventures. Naturally, we don’t know just how involved Gunn was, or what properties are lining up for their MCU debuts. Yet, it’s safe to assume that – as it is with Vol. 3 – they may turn out very differently than they would have. But the absence of James Gunn may not only change the face of superhero films, but the industry at large, too. The Future Of The Film Industry This aspect of James Gunn’s firing has already been heavily discussed, but it’s worth reiterating that Disney’s dismissal of the director sets a very worrying precedent. It's somewhat understandable that a family-friendly film company would want to distance themselves from such - erm, interesting - humor. However, there are quite a few hiccups in this plan. It may be a somewhat different situation, but many have been quick to point out the disparity between Disney’s treatment of James Gunn and that of John Lasseter. Gunn was immediately fired after a series of very dark, provocative tweets from nearly a decade ago came to light. On the other hand, Lasseter – the animation legend - was found to have consistently sexually harassed female employees for years. Instead, of being rapidly dismissed, though, Lasseter remains with the company until his work is completed in 2019. Depending on your viewpoint, the firing of James Gunn may be seen as a heavy-handed attempt to rectify an unwelcome situation. Yet, in light of Disney’s gradual response to the case of John Lasseter, it seems strange how little time was taken to investigate the context or nuance of Gunn’s situation. The Mouse House was evidently attempting to avoid negative press during the course of its game-changing merger with 20th Century Fox. But rather than subduing these concerns, Disney has reinforced them. When Fox is finally brought under its wing, Disney will have taken another step towards becoming a moviemaking monopoly. It’s not just a grim prospect for any form of competition, but for many other groups as well. You see, late 2017 saw Disney effectively strong-arm theaters into giving them a greater percentage of profit from Star Wars: The Last Jedi ticket sales, but the company also barred the Los Angeles Times from every one of their releases, after the publication ran an article which criticized Disney’s dealings in Anaheim, California. Alone, the case of James Gunn might be waved away as overeager PR control. However, this return to old-school blacklisting bodes ill, when we consider Disney’s increasingly dominant, dictatorial control over the film industry. This is not to suggest that wrongdoers within the company should not be punished. Yet, it’s a particularly inconsistent, totalitarian approach for Disney to adopt for anyone that they collaborate with. It allows little in the way of nuance, or for any understanding. Indeed, Alan Horn’s usage of the phrase “inconsistent with our values” - which he used in his statement over Gunn’s firing - sounds a lot more threatening now. It goes without saying that James Gunn’s controversial tweets are vile and reprehensible, yet the implications of his sacking are undoubtedly wide-ranging. Whilst the public – and Guardians of the Galaxy cast members – show an increasing resistance to James Gunn’s dismissal, it’s remains to be seen just what will occur in light of these events. But what is clear is that this issue's far from being resolved.