Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: Controversy Behind the Camera

On November 8th, 2021, the cast and crew of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 began their first day of production. While the completion of the trilogy marks another successful Marvel series, many are unaware of controversies that have been brought to light during this time. Director James Gunn has been both fired and rehired to the project, and his actions stem much farther than the MCU.

 

In the latest shocking #metoo development in the entertainment industry, Gunn was severed from the Marvel Comics Universe after a slew of social media posts he wrote before getting Guardians of the Galaxy surfaced. This was the headline in July of 2018 when Gunn was fired. It was reported that comments included topics such as the 9/11 attack, the holocaust, and other sensitive subjects. For obvious reasons, these statements did not align with the values and mission statement of Disney as a corporation. In a statement, Disney responded quickly and decisively: “The offensive attitudes and statements discovered on James’ Twitter feed are indefensible and inconsistent with our studio’s values, and we have severed our business relationship with him,” said Alan Horn, Walt Disney Studios chairman. While it was clearly the right choice, Disney executives were forgoing the opportunity to create another blockbuster film with Gunn at the helm. Guardians of the Galaxy 2 last summer grossed $863 million worldwide to the original’s $773 million. Even after Gunn assumed he would be directing the third film, Disney did not confirm anything to the general public. 

 

James Gunn has been reinstated as writer-director of Guardians of the Galaxy 3 after being fired by Disney last year. The 51-year-old filmmaker, who had been behind both previous installments of the Marvel franchise, came under fire when old tweets resurfaced. This was the headline of March of 2019, just one year after Gunn was fired. Gunn issued a public apology, stating “My words of nearly a decade ago were, at the time, totally failed and unfortunate efforts to be provocative. I have regretted them for many years since – not just because they were stupid, not at all funny, wildly insensitive, and certainly not provocative as I had hoped, but also because they don’t reflect the person I am today or have been for some time.” While this was strong sentiment, it was not enough to convince Disney. What influenced their decision was the decision made by other actors. Stars from the first two films shared their support for Gunn after his removal, including Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Chris Pratt, and Dave Bautista, who claimed he wouldn’t return unless Gunn was reinstated. “To be honest with you, I don’t know if I want to work for Disney,” he said to Jonathan Ross at the time. Finally, Gunn signed with a DC Project after being removed from Guardians. This project, famously known as the sequel to Suicide Squad, most likely created a sense of panic for Marvel, who at the time was still looking to find a director.

 

Fast forward to November 8th once again, and Gunn once again took to social media. However, this time, it was to acknowledge the journey and all that has happened. Gunn’s caption for his post acknowledged the film’s rocky road to production, saying, “It’s been a strange & long & at times challenging journey to get here, but the obstacles along the way have only made this moment more blissful. Back on set with my Guardians family for the first day of shooting.”  As Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to hit theatres in May of 2023, viewers will be paying close attention to the development of the film.