James Gunn’s final entry to the MCU has no doubt earned him innumerable accolades and praise from fans, but before bidding his farewell, people want to know more about everything that went into the making of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
This is where production designer Beth Mickle comes into the picture, and explains how Gunn’s decision to hire her was the primary reason behind the movie’s breathtaking sets.
In an interview with ScreenRant, Mickle outlined how grateful she was to the filmmaker for the opportunity, and went on to recount the details of the hiring process,
“I am just forever grateful for that turn of events in my life and my career. When James was initially hiring for Guardians 3 back in 2018, he was looking for wildcard production designer options and wanted to see who else was out there outside of the usual suspects who often do these movies. Mary Livanos at Marvel pitched me to him and said, “Here’s somebody that’s been on our radar. She did Drive with Nicolas Winding Refn, and some of Nicholas’ other work,” and that struck a chord with James.
We met; we had a fantastic first Skype call, and had lots to talk about, and lots of good laughs, and then the relationship just grew from there. I have to say that it is nothing short of monumental that he took a chance on me for Guardians. I come from doing independent film, I’m a woman production designer, and both independent film designers and female designers don’t often get a shot at doing these giant movies.
He took a great leap of faith by giving me a chance there and seeing if I could sink or swim. In doing that, it really did start to shift the tides on the faces and the names of the people who get to design these movies. I’m forever grateful for the opportunity, and for somebody in a position of power like he was to take a chance, it’s making a social change, and it’s important to be happening, and it’s great to be seen.”
Along with The Suicide Squad, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, and Superman: Legacy, Mickle’s had already become one of the DC Studios co-CEO’s most trusted regulars.
In retrospect, the partnership was successful and Mickle has nothing but positive experiences to share. Calling Gunn “the best collaborator… with great parameters and a great broad vision, and gives you fun rules to play within” reflects the duo’s capabilities in making any project into a grand success.
