After Disney fired James Gunn from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (and, by extension, the entire MCU) due to a series of controversial tweets the writer/director had written nearly a decade ago, the response has been divisive, to say the least. In fact, Disney may well have defined the MCU for its foreseeable future on account of their decision.
Between 2008 and 2012, Gunn had written a number of tweets intended to be humorous that referred to both pedophilia and rape. After Mike Cernovich discovered the tweets and released them via social media, Disney reacted with a “zero tolerance” approach, firing the writer/director from the upcoming third installment in the Guardians of the Galaxy series - the screenplay for which Gunn had already completed. Gunn has since released an official statement apologizing for his actions, various celebrities have stood out in his defense, thousands of fans have signed a petition to reinstate him as director, and even the entire cast of Guardians of the Galaxy pledged their support of Gunn in an open letter. However, these reactions are only the beginning of imminent (and potentially torrential) domino effect-esque consequences.
Marvel Studios is no stranger to facing massive (sometimes abrupt) changes that alter the course of their overall trajectory, and the Disney/Gunn situation may well mark the tipping point of how the future of the MCU evolves. For better or worse, the future of the MCU will never be the same after this.
- This Page: How Disney’s Approach Betrays The MCU Page 2: The Long-Term Impact Of Not Rehiring James Gunn
The MCU Was About Redemption… Until It Wasn’t
The characters in the MCU may be imbued with special abilities that set them apart from the average human (i.e. super strength, the power of flight, telekineses), but they’re still incredibly relatable. Audiences may be wowed by these powers, but its best aspect of the Marvel formula that keeps them hooked; the idea that defeating the odds is a wholly conceivable possibility - even (or especially) when those odds stem from a shady past.
In fact, Marvel Studios has actively honored redemptive arcs well before the MCU was even conceived (and not just in terms of action taking place on camera, but behind the scenes as well). Prior to 2008’s Iron Man, Marvel decided to have their success ride on the back of someone whose reputation in Hollywood was hardly glowing: Robert Downey Jr. Today, he’s the comeback story of the century, but in the not-so-distant past, Downey Jr. was a far cry from the man he is today. Addiction, rehab, and jail time nearly killed the prolific actor’s career for good, but he did as any hero in the MCU would do and redeemed himself. So, sure, the MCU is a multi-billion dollar enterprise with international appeal, but it’s built on the backs of underdogs. It’s honed in on the human element of its characters (warts and all), and the superpowers have only ever been a fancy polish on an already beloved product.
More specifically, the Guardians of the Galaxy series especially lives by this formula. The characters in this series are made up of a group comprised of criminals who were once famously referred to as “a bunch of a-holes,” and yet… they overcame the worst parts of themselves. So, when the studio in which this sort of formula exists ignores said formula, it’s evident that something is wrong. If James Gunn’s entire creative future is riding on some poor choices he made in the past, then the MCU’s entire MO is essentially as artificial as Ultron’s brain.
Page 2 of 2: The Long-Term Impact Of Not Rehiring James Gunn
No Gunn Means Angry Guardians… And Future Cosmic Stars
Displeased talent is nothing new in Hollywood. Brad Pitt nearly quit Interview with the Vampire in the middle of filming, Ian McKellen wanted to walk right off the set of The Hobbit, and even Jeremy Renner wanted Hawkeye to be killed off in the first Avengers movie because he wasn’t happy with the direction his character was being taken. However, contracts keep those actors in tow, regardless. So, even though the entire cast of Guardians of the Galaxy is openly standing in Gunn’s defense following his firing, they’re contracted to stick around. That said, the main crew is only confirmed to star in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Avengers 4; so, not only will the next installment of Guardians of the Galaxy run the risk of featuring less inspired performances, it may well mark the end of their involvement in the MCU as a whole.
There is definitely the argument that money talks, but the lack of team spirit still stands. Disney has put the Guardians of the Galaxy series at risk of phoned-in performances and an air of overall negativity. So, legal or moral grounds aside, Disney’s lack of foresight in their decision to fire Gunn may well tear away at the Guardians’ homespun fabric that made the series so endearing in the first place.
Guardians of the Galaxy also represents the future of the MCU in terms of its dive into cosmic storytelling - and Vol. 3 was going to be a major jumping-off point, with Gunn stating that it will “end this iteration of the Guardians and complete the story of the three films.” The Guardians were meant to be the glue that connects earlier phases of the MCU to later ones, and even if any of the original actors chose to make a return, it’s unlikely to be in the same capacity it might have been had Gunn still been involved. You can imagine them operated like Tony Stark post-Iron Man 3 - his trilogy was over but it was far from the end of RDJ. Now, that seems shaky.
The MCU Will Be Forever Hampered With A “What If?”
In big-budget movies, major changes are part of the natural landscape. Even properties as massive as The Exorcist, the DC universe, and even Star Wars have suffered last-minute behind-the-scenes changes that wholly altered production (see: Solo: A Story Wars Story and Justice League, both of which ran into this very issue just last year). So, it’s no surprise that this sort of thing also happens in the MCU. While its on-screen heroes were doing battle against their respective villains, Marvel Studios was dealing with its own share of baggage behind the scenes - baggage that ultimately rewired the MCU and left fans pondering over what might have been had certain changes never come to light.
Sometimes, these changes leaned closer to the positive spectrum. For example, when Marvel CEO Ike Perlmutter lost creative control over the MCU once Disney came aboard, the MCU headed into more daring directions (Perlmutter was not keen on breaking new creative ground, which might have prevented movies like Black Panther and Captain Marvel from being greenlit). Then, sometimes, these changes sat closer to the center of the spectrum - like when Edgar Wright left Ant-Man. Wright is a talented and beloved filmmaker, but Peyton Reed still managed to take the series into a well-received direction. And, as is the case with James Gunn being fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, sometimes these changes were mostly negative. Gunn had such a prominent hand in the future of the MCU, defining its overall direction post-Avengers 4, that, without him, the franchise is now riddled with uncertainty, adding to Marvel’s growing slew of “what ifs?”
It’s difficult for audiences to look to the future of the MCU with enthusiasm when the formula to which they’ve grown so accustomed is being abruptly rewired. The beauty of the MCU - especially compared to competitors like DC - is the consistency that’s been threaded throughout their movies for the past ten years. They take chances, but there’s a plan. They’ve got a tried-and-true road map. So, now, Disney’s impulsivity is putting the MCU at risk of screwing with the formula; changing what’s made them so unique over the past decade, as well as jeopardizing the future of the entire franchise. And unless Disney decides to play ball and reinstate Gunn back into Marvel, the future of the franchise may never live up to the original direction in which Gunn saw this cinematic universe headed.
More: Disney Should Rehire James Gunn For Guardians of the Galaxy 3
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Release Date: 2023-05-05 The Avengers 4 Release Date: 2019-04-26
