Who should replace James Gunn on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3? Gunn has become an immediately-recognized name in recent years, writing and directing the hugely popular Guardians of the Galaxy movies. He’s become synonymous with the characters, to the extent that Gunn wrote dialogue for the Guardians for Avengers: Infinity War and next year’s Avengers 4. He’s recently finished the script for Guardians Vol. 3, which was intended to set up the next decade’s worth of Marvel movies. The film was due to begin production early next year, with Marvel aiming for a 2020 release. But all those plans have been shaken by a recent controversy, which has culminated in Gunn’s being fired by Disney.

The firing of James Gunn leaves Marvel facing one of their most difficult challenges to date. Assuming the studio want to cut all ties with Gunn, they’ll need to have a new script written for the film. But Marvel has been working with Gunn for years, and he’s been serving as an adviser on their upcoming cosmic films. That means substantial parts of Marvel’s plans for their future slate may spin out of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Fortunately, the studio has been extremely secretive about their post-Avengers 4 ideas, which allows them to pivot without public embarrassment.

Given the success of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, replacing Gunn at speed will be a high priority. But that doesn’t mean it will be easy; James Gunn has been extremely protective of his characters, meaning none of Marvel’s other writers have even penned dialogue for the Guardians. What’s more, the speed with which this controversy has developed will have taken Marvel by surprise; they won’t have any plans for this eventuality. Just who should Marvel choose as Gunn’s replacement?

  • This Page: Taika Waititi is the Natural Choice Page 2: Who Else Could Replace James Gunn?

Taika Waititi is the Natural Choice

The frontrunner in many eyes is undoubtedly Taika Waititi. Thor: Ragnarok not only proved that Waititi can work well within the Marvel Studios machine, but that as a tentpole filmmaker he has the perfect blend of fantastical style and rich humor. The film was the best performer in the Thor trilogy, grossing over $850 million against a budget of $180 million. Additionally, by all accounts Thor: Ragnarok’s cast and crew absolutely loved the experience of working with him, and a friendly face like Waititi’s could be ideal for bringing together a cast and crew who’ve surely been shaken by the loss of James Gunn.

Marvel’s recent movies have succeeded in large part because the studio has allowed their directors to push their own vision for the films. The risk with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is that whoever replaces Gunn will be tempted to simply try to copy his approach and style, and as a result their own personality won’t infuse the film. Waititi, however, is strong-willed and confident. What’s more, he may already have ideas that could be subtly absorbed into Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Chris Hemsworth and Taika Waititi have both talked of wanting to make Thor 4 together, and after his interactions with the space a-holes in Avengers: Infinity War, it’s fair to say the Thor of Ragnarok would be a perfect fit with the Guardians.

Of course, it all depends on how much such a radical change would affect Marvel Studios’ overarching plans. We have no way of knowing how many other films Marvel is considering that spin out of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which means that the script may be restricted a little more than is usual. This is the problem with the shared universe model; every film is potentially a foundation for the next, and Marvel had a lot riding on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Waititi may not be interested in compromising his vision for Thor and the Hulk by integrating them with the Guardians franchise.

Page 2 of 2: Who Else Could Replace James Gunn on Guardians of the Galaxy 3?

Who Else Could Replace James Gunn?

Assuming Waititi is unable or unwilling, who else could make Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Given the difficulty of this decision, Marvel may choose to go with directors they’ve recently considered for other projects. One option is Emily Carmichael, who is believed to have been considered for Captain Marvel. Although Carmichael doesn’t have the major filmography of some recent Marvel picks, her short films have received several awards and high critical marks. She’s gained experience as a writer of major franchises, including Pacific Rim Uprising and Jurassic World 3. In an interview with Variety, Carmichael stressed that she’d “been really gearing up to doing these tentpole movies my whole life it feels like.”

Another option is Michelle MacLaren, whose name was also briefly associated with Captain Marvel. MacLaren was initially director of DC’s Wonder Woman before Patty Jenkins took the job, and she’s demonstrated her skill with some stunning action scenes on Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones. The director has been working with Chris Pratt on Cowboy Ninja Viking, and the two reportedly have a strong working relationship. So she’d potentially be a great fit for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Marvel may also consider sticking with directors with a proven history of Marvel movies - top of the list being Peyton Reed, whose whimsical humor would be an almost perfect fit for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Reed already has experience picking up troubled films, taking over on Ant-Man after Edgar Wright left. Unfortunately, Ant-Man & the Wasp’s disappointing domestic performance may indicate Reed’s style isn’t quite resonating with audiences in the way Marvel hoped. It would probably be risky assigning him to a high-profile film like Guardians Vol. 3.

Moving away from these directors, though, Marvel will probably be looking for people who can blend humor and action. Matthew Vaughn is one possibility; although his work on the Kingsman films is hardly the right tone for a Marvel film, it does demonstrate that he can balance the jokes with the pulse-pounding action sequences. He has a history with Marvel superheroes, directing X-Men: First Class. A similar possibility is Jordan Vogt-Roberts, who’s known for his humor, but can also direct stylized tentpole films like Kong: Skull Island. Unfortunately, it seems likely Vogt-Roberts’s commitments to Metal Gear Solid would rule him out. A third option would be Jennifer Yuh Nelson, a storyboard artist who made her directorial debut with Kung Fu Panda 3. She’s broadened out her career in recent years, gaining experience of dramatic live-action productions with Darkest Minds. Finally, Gary Ross would be a safe choice; like all the other names in this list, he has experience with both action and comedy, including with this year’s Oceans Eight.

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Whoever does take over from James Gunn on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will face a difficult challenge. This isn’t your standard Marvel franchise, and could be very important in the future of the MCU. One things for sure, though: Marvel is spoilt for choice.

Next: What Happens To Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Without James Gunn?

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