One of the worst events in the history of Marvel Studios turned out to be one of the best things to ever happen to its fans.

When writer-director James Gunn was let go from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in 2018, due to some (at best) very problematic tweets from years ago that certain members of an alt-right faction used in retaliation for Gunn’s public reactions to the current Washington, D.C. landscape, his dismissal was a body blow to legions of Marvel fans. Gunn was poised to enter pre-production on seemingly the final chapter in Star-Lord & Co.’s cosmic adventures, at least in this phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

But last Friday (classic Marvel PR play), it was reported that not only was Gunn back as director for Guardians Vol. 3 but that his deal was figured out months ago. (We can hazard a guess the timing of the announcement coincided with the pending March 20 closing of the Disney/Fox merger.) Gunn’s return to the franchise he created, which took a B- to D-list roster of niche Marvel comics heroes and turned them in household names, was as stunning (if not more so) than the reports of his firing. With the exception of Joss Whedon and the Russo brothers, Gunn was one of the few filmmakers in the Marvel staple to stay on after his first film and play a key role in helping shape the stories for other movies in the MCU through more than one phase. (Scott Derrickson recently joined their ranks, having signed on for a sequel to his 2016 hit, Doctor Strange).

Gunn was clearly well-liked by his cast and fellow Marvel filmmakers, judging by the fierce loyalty and respect colleagues expressed on social media regarding Gunn being cut from the beloved franchise he helped create. Marvel’s temporary loss was DC and Warner Bros. gain, as they swooped in to secure Gunn’s services to write and direct a total reboot of DC’s Suicide Squad. The Suicide Squad is set to start shooting this fall, with Gunn’s deal making it possible for him to jump back to Marvel and Vol. 3 once Squad is complete. Both DC and Marvel fans are the true winners here, getting another chance to see Groot in action and (hopefully) an opportunity to see the Suicide Squad get the big-screen treatment they deserve.

Gunn’s knee-jerk firing by Disney set an uncomfortable and problematic precedent; his re-hiring all but erases it while creating a new, much more effective one. Few filmmakers working in the space that Marvel has owned for more than a decade has as unique a voice as Gunn’s, one that can translate into billion-dollar grossing pictures. Within the playful confines of the Marvel sandbox, he has created characters and stories with four-quadrant crossover appeal in a way we haven’t seen since arguably George Lucas’ first Star Wars. For a Hollywood obsessed with churning out movies based on IP instead of original content, Gunn has found a way to make his comic book movies feel like original ideas that just happen to star characters from the pages of the juggernaut Marvel brand.

2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy gave the genre a much needed shot in the arm at the exact time it needed it. That year was the year that some pundits began wondering loudly if Marvel’s “time to make the donuts” assembly lining of eye candy was either plateauing or at the risk of soon getting there. Gunn, whether he intended to or not, proved those early naysayers wrong. He also proved that there is more life to the genre than anyone may have imagined, thanks to his imagination and how it interpreted these comic book characters – our bunch of a-holes – to be fleshed-out, three-dimensional action heroes whose inner lives were just as engaging as their outer ones. A talking, gun-toting raccoon was a very risky proposition before Guardians came out, and well into its developmental stage. The fact that Gunn not only found ways to make that character feel relatable and human but also turned him into one of the most popular and complex characters in the whole MCU, is a testament to how important his signature style is to the Marvel machine.

Hollywood is full of second chances; actors and directors are always finding second and third acts to their careers (whether deserved or not, though in this case, very deserved). Rarely do those second chances come so soon after suffering a huge blow to the first, let alone with people like Gunn getting a shot to return to the thing that made them worth giving that second chance to in the first place. The best thing to happen to the MCU since RDJ is Disney, with Marvel’s help, coming to its senses and putting story and fans (and box office, obviously) ahead of corporate synergy. Gunn’s re-hiring fills audiences with something that the real world could use more of: hope.

As Marvel Studios enters its next chapter with its plans more shrouded in secrecy than usual, fans can take comfort in knowing that Gunn’s presence is one of the few variables they can count on. Whatever shape those plans may end up finally taking, it’s good to have Gunn back where he belongs.

 

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