James Gunn is celebrating the eight-year anniversary of his breakout hit film, Guardians of the Galaxy even as anticipation mounts for its upcoming threequel, Vol. 3.
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 opened exactly 8 years ago today (and my life changed forevermore),” Gunn wrote in a Twitter post Monday with a collection of behind-the-scenes images.
Before the first Guardians of the Galaxy film was released in 2014, Gunn was already a successful cinematic storyteller in many ways, having penned scripts for the box office hit films the Dawn of Dead remake, and Scooby-Doo. And the movies he directed up to that point, like the critically well-received horror film Slither and the 2010 comedy Super, showcased him as competent behind the lens.
However, with Guardians, it marked a turning point in so many ways. Not only was it a box office hit, but it arguably launched lead actor Chris Pratt into the orbit of superstardom. What’s more, the film felt like the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first foray into embracing a writer-director’s unique vision, rather than conforming an intellectual property to a cookie-cutter mold of an action film. The result arguably made Gunn a household name and he’s been a major player in some of the industry’s most beloved comic book adaptions ever since.
2017’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was similarly praised. With Vol. 3 set to be the franchise’s concluding entry, we frankly can’t wait to see what’s in store, especially considering Gunn was almost dropped from the project entirely due to being temporarily fired from Disney for offensive remarks that he made on Twitter, years ago.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is currently in post-production and expected to hit theaters May 5, 2023.
