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.