This Suicide Squad 2 is about to get interesting now. DC has a chance to fix their film division with this Joaquin Phoenix Joker film and Gunn doing Suicide Squad 2.
James Gunn Fired From ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy’ Franchise Over Offensive Tweets
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Why Warner Bros. is Okay with Gunn’s Twitter History But Not Disney
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In a shocking turn of events, Warner Bros. and DC have hired James Gunn to write, and possibly direct, Suicide Squad 2, not finding the same problems with the former Guardians of the Galaxy Galaxy director's past behavior as Disney. Gunn was previously fired from his role at Marvel Studios after a number of old inappropriate tweets resurfaced, including jokes about rape and pedophilia. While Gunn apologized for his past behavior and showed no signs of similar activities recently, Disney still wasn't willing to rehiring him, but Warner Bros. seems far more comfortable bringing him into the DC universe.
The news isn't just surprising because it's a high profile jump from Marvel to DC. After he was fired from Marvel, the focus of most people was on his potential return to the MCU for Guardians of the Galaxy 3 or another cosmic film. Meanwhile, Gavin O'Conner's version of Suicide Squad 2 was seemingly moving along, there was no hint that it needed a new writer or director, and the script had recently received praise, so to see Gunn picked up by DC for that particular movie was understandably unexpected.
Related: James Gunn Is A Better Fit For Suicide Squad Than Guardians of the Galaxy
There's a lot to be said about how Gunn's style will fit with DC vs. Marvel, but there's a strong case to be made that he's a better natural fit for adapting Suicide Squad comics than he ever was for Guardians of the Galaxy comics. Nevertheless, the fact that Warner Bros. was willing to hire him despite his recent firing from Disney says a lot about the way the competing studios view and manage their respective brands.
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While it's easy to paint Gunn's situation as black and white, that he was fired for making jokes about pedophilia, the reality is a little more nuanced than that. Before Gunn was hired by Disney to direct Guardians of the Galaxy, he liked to consider himself a provocateur, known more for his edgier work with Troma entertainment or his hard R movies, Slither and Super. The culture has changed a lot in the last decade, and the environment in which the tweets resurfaced is significantly different than the environment in which they were originally made.
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This by no means makes these jokes any less inappropriate, but it's important to note that Gunn himself has had a very public evolution since them, apologizing for his past behavior long before he was actually called out on it, expressing regret at his misguided commitment to edgy provocation in the past. It was a mistake for him to leave the tweets up and an oversight by Disney to not audit his Twitter history before hiring him, but there were also no signs that such an effort was even necessary. The most recent of the tweets in question were posted several years before he was even hired by Disney.
Related: Why Disney Fired James Gunn as Director But Are Keeping Him as Writer
What finally got the tweets noticed was not any foul play by Gunn, but a political spat on Twitter that led to a coordinated effort to smear Gunn's name. Since he had never thought to delete the offensive tweets, they were easy enough to find with simple Twitter searches for his username and keywords like "rape," giving his opponents the fuel they needed to stir up controversy. Since Gunn had established a new, less offensive, public identity since gaining notoriety, the contrast against his current character and lack of context from his older work made them all the more shocking. The fact that he worked for Disney, who basically holds a monopoly on family-friendly entertainment, made it all the worse.
WHY DISNEY WOULDN'T REHIRE HIM
In an effort to control a situation that seemed to be quickly spinning out of control, Disney fired James Gunn, basically stamping all the accusations against him with an what appeared to be admission of guilt. Support for Gunn quickly swelledamongst fans, with the stars of Guardians of the Galaxy also coming out to vouch for his character. While it seemed at the time like another shoe was about to drop, that was virtually the extent of Gunn's offense. There were some photos of him dressed as a Catholic priest at a costume party, again as a pedophilia joke, but there have been no accusations levied against him or evidence that he did anything other than make bad jokes.
If Disney hadn't fired him and instead simply condemned the tweets and taken time to conduct an investigation into Gunn's past, they likely would have been able to announce a few weeks later that they had found no sign on wrongdoing, and clarify that Gunn had rejected his past behavior and was committed to greater sensitivity in the future, the whole thing would have likely blown over. But since he was instead fired unceremoniously, his guilt was left up to the court of public opinion, and the narrative lost track of the fact that Gunn never actually did anything wrong, instead he was "fired by Disney for being a pedophile."
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Related: Why Rehiring James Gunn Is Harder For Disney Than Fans Realize
There were rumors that Disney was considering bringing Gunn back, but they've since been denied, although it looks as if his script will still be used for Guardians of the Galaxy 3. The film was ultimately delayed, which could have cleared the way for him to eventually come back anyway, it had already been reported that he might be hired for future Marvel projects, so it's clear Disney's door wasn't completely shut, but after they publicly threw him under the bus, it's understandable that he would take an opportunity like Suicide Squad 2 for DC and Warner Bros..
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WARNER BROS. DOESN'T HAVE THE SAME FAMILY-FRIENDLY IMAGE TO MAINTAIN
Disney was understandably uncomfortable with the exposure of Gunn's tweets, so the firing, while reactionary, is understandable. Disney is a family-friendly brand, and protecting that brand is one of the things the company is best at. Simply not taking action was never an option.
Warner Bros. is in another position entirely. While they wouldn't want to take the situation lightly either, they don't have to worry about maintaining the same audience, so when it became evident that Gunn was guilty of nothing more than pushing the envelope, WB no longer had any need to be concerned about his behavior. If the tweets were made recently, especially while he was employed by Disney, it might be another matter. But he's proven he can keep it together professionally in a large studio system, there's no evidence of actual wrongdoing, and we already know Warner Bros. was attracted to what he did with Guardians of the Galaxy when they recut the first Suicide Squad to fit a similar tone.
Warners doesn't only not have to guard their image as strongly as Disney, but also has looser content restrictions. The studio has never had the same aversion to R-rated comic book content as Disney, so the idea of Gunn signing on for a project there would be far less controversial than it would have been at Disney.
Gunn should never have made the jokes to begin with, and will surely regret them for years to come. His time at Disney is likely over, but when it's all said and done, Warner Bros. could possibly be a better fit for his sensibilities as a filmmaker anyway.
- BY STEPHEN M. COLBERT
- – ON OCT 13, 2018
- IN SR ORIGINALS
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In a shocking turn of events, Warner Bros. and DC have hired James Gunn to write, and possibly direct, Suicide Squad 2, not finding the same problems with the former Guardians of the Galaxy Galaxy director's past behavior as Disney. Gunn was previously fired from his role at Marvel Studios after a number of old inappropriate tweets resurfaced, including jokes about rape and pedophilia. While Gunn apologized for his past behavior and showed no signs of similar activities recently, Disney still wasn't willing to rehiring him, but Warner Bros. seems far more comfortable bringing him into the DC universe.
The news isn't just surprising because it's a high profile jump from Marvel to DC. After he was fired from Marvel, the focus of most people was on his potential return to the MCU for Guardians of the Galaxy 3 or another cosmic film. Meanwhile, Gavin O'Conner's version of Suicide Squad 2 was seemingly moving along, there was no hint that it needed a new writer or director, and the script had recently received praise, so to see Gunn picked up by DC for that particular movie was understandably unexpected.
Related: James Gunn Is A Better Fit For Suicide Squad Than Guardians of the Galaxy
There's a lot to be said about how Gunn's style will fit with DC vs. Marvel, but there's a strong case to be made that he's a better natural fit for adapting Suicide Squad comics than he ever was for Guardians of the Galaxy comics. Nevertheless, the fact that Warner Bros. was willing to hire him despite his recent firing from Disney says a lot about the way the competing studios view and manage their respective brands.
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- This Page: Why James Gunn Was Fired in the First Place
- Page 2: Why Warner Bros. Doesn't Have the Same Hangups as Disney
While it's easy to paint Gunn's situation as black and white, that he was fired for making jokes about pedophilia, the reality is a little more nuanced than that. Before Gunn was hired by Disney to direct Guardians of the Galaxy, he liked to consider himself a provocateur, known more for his edgier work with Troma entertainment or his hard R movies, Slither and Super. The culture has changed a lot in the last decade, and the environment in which the tweets resurfaced is significantly different than the environment in which they were originally made.
ADVERTISING
This by no means makes these jokes any less inappropriate, but it's important to note that Gunn himself has had a very public evolution since them, apologizing for his past behavior long before he was actually called out on it, expressing regret at his misguided commitment to edgy provocation in the past. It was a mistake for him to leave the tweets up and an oversight by Disney to not audit his Twitter history before hiring him, but there were also no signs that such an effort was even necessary. The most recent of the tweets in question were posted several years before he was even hired by Disney.
Related: Why Disney Fired James Gunn as Director But Are Keeping Him as Writer
What finally got the tweets noticed was not any foul play by Gunn, but a political spat on Twitter that led to a coordinated effort to smear Gunn's name. Since he had never thought to delete the offensive tweets, they were easy enough to find with simple Twitter searches for his username and keywords like "rape," giving his opponents the fuel they needed to stir up controversy. Since Gunn had established a new, less offensive, public identity since gaining notoriety, the contrast against his current character and lack of context from his older work made them all the more shocking. The fact that he worked for Disney, who basically holds a monopoly on family-friendly entertainment, made it all the worse.
WHY DISNEY WOULDN'T REHIRE HIM
In an effort to control a situation that seemed to be quickly spinning out of control, Disney fired James Gunn, basically stamping all the accusations against him with an what appeared to be admission of guilt. Support for Gunn quickly swelledamongst fans, with the stars of Guardians of the Galaxy also coming out to vouch for his character. While it seemed at the time like another shoe was about to drop, that was virtually the extent of Gunn's offense. There were some photos of him dressed as a Catholic priest at a costume party, again as a pedophilia joke, but there have been no accusations levied against him or evidence that he did anything other than make bad jokes.
If Disney hadn't fired him and instead simply condemned the tweets and taken time to conduct an investigation into Gunn's past, they likely would have been able to announce a few weeks later that they had found no sign on wrongdoing, and clarify that Gunn had rejected his past behavior and was committed to greater sensitivity in the future, the whole thing would have likely blown over. But since he was instead fired unceremoniously, his guilt was left up to the court of public opinion, and the narrative lost track of the fact that Gunn never actually did anything wrong, instead he was "fired by Disney for being a pedophile."
ADVERTISING
Related: Why Rehiring James Gunn Is Harder For Disney Than Fans Realize
There were rumors that Disney was considering bringing Gunn back, but they've since been denied, although it looks as if his script will still be used for Guardians of the Galaxy 3. The film was ultimately delayed, which could have cleared the way for him to eventually come back anyway, it had already been reported that he might be hired for future Marvel projects, so it's clear Disney's door wasn't completely shut, but after they publicly threw him under the bus, it's understandable that he would take an opportunity like Suicide Squad 2 for DC and Warner Bros..
ADVERTISING
WARNER BROS. DOESN'T HAVE THE SAME FAMILY-FRIENDLY IMAGE TO MAINTAIN
Disney was understandably uncomfortable with the exposure of Gunn's tweets, so the firing, while reactionary, is understandable. Disney is a family-friendly brand, and protecting that brand is one of the things the company is best at. Simply not taking action was never an option.
Warner Bros. is in another position entirely. While they wouldn't want to take the situation lightly either, they don't have to worry about maintaining the same audience, so when it became evident that Gunn was guilty of nothing more than pushing the envelope, WB no longer had any need to be concerned about his behavior. If the tweets were made recently, especially while he was employed by Disney, it might be another matter. But he's proven he can keep it together professionally in a large studio system, there's no evidence of actual wrongdoing, and we already know Warner Bros. was attracted to what he did with Guardians of the Galaxy when they recut the first Suicide Squad to fit a similar tone.
Warners doesn't only not have to guard their image as strongly as Disney, but also has looser content restrictions. The studio has never had the same aversion to R-rated comic book content as Disney, so the idea of Gunn signing on for a project there would be far less controversial than it would have been at Disney.
Gunn should never have made the jokes to begin with, and will surely regret them for years to come. His time at Disney is likely over, but when it's all said and done, Warner Bros. could possibly be a better fit for his sensibilities as a filmmaker anyway.
James Gunn Might Direct the New Suicide Squad
By Anne Victoria Clark@annevclark
Photo: Rich Fury/Getty Images
The former Guardians of the Galaxy director might be making his comeback. After being fired from the third Guardians installment over some old, offensive tweets that resurfaced, James Gunn made his way over to DC and is now in talks to direct the next Suicide Squad movie, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Gunn had already been writing the script for the new Squad movie, which is due for release in August of 2021, and he’s said to be taking the franchise in a “new direction” with a mostly new cast of characters. In fact, this film isn’t even being officially called a sequel, but is instead being labelled a “relaunch”. Which is probably just like a reboot, but since it’s only been two years since the original, it’s more like a re-do.
By Anne Victoria Clark@annevclark
Photo: Rich Fury/Getty Images
The former Guardians of the Galaxy director might be making his comeback. After being fired from the third Guardians installment over some old, offensive tweets that resurfaced, James Gunn made his way over to DC and is now in talks to direct the next Suicide Squad movie, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Gunn had already been writing the script for the new Squad movie, which is due for release in August of 2021, and he’s said to be taking the franchise in a “new direction” with a mostly new cast of characters. In fact, this film isn’t even being officially called a sequel, but is instead being labelled a “relaunch”. Which is probably just like a reboot, but since it’s only been two years since the original, it’s more like a re-do.
'Guardians of the Galaxy 3' could change Marvel forever with one big recast
Dave Bautista's Marvel exit has fans talking about what could happen to Drax and the Guardians of the Galaxy in director James Gunn's third sequel.
Guardians of the Galaxy 3 Actor Reacts to Silver Surfer & Nova Rumors
Guardians of the Galaxy's Vol. 3 star Chukwudi Iwuji says internet rumors about him being Nova or the Silver Surfer are "kind of fun."
BY TC PHILLIPSPUBLISHED 1 DAY AGO
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’s Chukwudi Iwuji has spoken out the various internet rumors surrounding his mystery role in the intergalactic MCU threequel. Iwuji, who spent much of his early career as a stage actor for the Royal Shakespeare Company, has previously appeared in John Wick: Chapter 2 and also had a recurring role on Kiefer Sutherland’s political drama Designated Survivor. In December 2020 director James Gunn had cast him as the mercenary Clemson Murn in his The Suicide Squad spin-off series Peacemaker.
Suggesting that Iwuji was “one of the best actors I've ever worked with”, Gunn also cast him in an as-yet-unknown role in his latest Guardians of the Galaxy outing. While details surrounding which Marvel character Iwuji will be playing in the MCU blockbuster are practically non-existent, the director has also suggested that it is a role that “most every big name actor in Hollywood wanted”. This revelation sent fans into a flurry of speculation, with characters such as the Silver Surfer, Beta-Ray Bill, and Nova often at the top of most fan theories.
Most recently Iwuji himself has spoken with The Movie Dweeb (via Comicbook) about his casting in the hotly anticipated Marvel film and was asked about the various rumors currently doing the rounds on the internet. Admitting he still can’t reveal which character he’ll be playing, Iwuji suggests it’s “kind of fun” to be the subject of so much fan speculation. Check out his full comments below:
While the Silver Surfer and Nova are two cosmic characters Marvel fans are keen to see make their MCU debut, given Gunn’s penchant for taking some serious deep-dives into obscure comic lore and bringing relatively unknown characters to life, Iwuji’s character may end up being someone completely unexpected. Even Groot, the talking tree who has since become one of the MCU’s most beloved characters, was largely completely unknown by fans before Gunn got his hands on him. The director has even suggested that he once had to remind Stan Lee that he did, in fact, create the character himself in 1960.
While fans will probably have to wait until May next year to find out which Marvel character Iwuji will be bringing to life on the big screen, they are already excited to see Will Poulter’s Adam Warlock make his own MCU debut. Meanwhile, Sylvester Stallone’s Stakar Ogord is also expected to have a much larger role after his own introduction in 2017’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. With over 16 months still yet to go until Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 reaches theaters, there’s bound to be a lot more amateur sleuthing and fan theories to come.
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'Guardians of the Galaxy 3' will be 'last time people will see this team'
'Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3' director James Gunn says the film is 'the last time people will see this team of Guardians.'
James Gunn says Guardians of the Galaxy 3 will be the 'last time people will see this team'
The writer-director also said he's working on another DC Comics television series that's a spin-off of The Suicide Squad.
By Nick RomanoJanuary 28, 2022 at 10:36 AM EST
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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
TYPE
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Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 will close a chapter for its heroic group of cosmic misfits.
Director James Gunn confirmed during a recent interview that the third installment of his sci-fi trilogy is "the last time people will see this team of Guardians."
"This is the end for us," the filmmaker said on Deadline's Hero Nation podcast.
Chris Pratt's Star-Lord leads his team of cosmic misfits in 'Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2.'
| CREDIT: EVERETT COLLECTION
What's interesting is his phrasing: He said "this team of Guardians," which doesn't necessarily mean we won't get any more Guardians movies or that we won't see another grouping of superheroes operating as the Guardians of the Galaxy. But it does suggest that we won't be seeing Chris Pratt's Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana's Gamora, Dave Bautista's Drax, Bradley Cooper's Rocket, Vin Diesel's Groot, Karen Gillian's Nebula, and Pom Klementieff's Mantis traversing the universe together in the Milano ship after this latest movie.
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"It's big," Gunn said of the film. "It's so, so big and dark, and different from what people might be expecting it to be."
He added, "I just want to be true to the characters, and I want to be true to the story, and I want to give people the wrap-up they deserve for the story. That is always a little bit scary."
Will Poulter joins the cast of Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 as Adam Warlock, a notable character from the comics and one teased in an end-credits sequence attached to the second movie.
Avengers: Endgame showed Chris Hemsworth's Thor leaving Earth with the Guardians in the Milano, setting up the events of Thor: Love and Thunder, which could also have an impact on GOTG 3.
Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 is currently scheduled to open in theaters May 5, 2023.
Meanwhile, Gunn said he's developing another spin-off series of The Suicide Squad following Peacemaker's first season on HBO Max. He wrote all eight episodes of the HBO Max dramedy starring John Cena and is executive producing it with Peter Safran.
"We're working on something else now — another TV show that's connected to that universe," Gunn told Hero Nation. "I can't quite say, but, yeah, we're working on something else."
Whatever that project is, Gunn did reveal this: "It will not be the same genre as Peacemaker. It won't be as much of a comedy."
Listen to the full interview with Gunn on the Hero Nation podcast.
Yeah Batista said this is his last Marvel film. In the source materials GOTG had different team members so this is ok. Plus the actors are getting old so I can see the multiverse playing out down the road when it comes to ages.'Guardians of the Galaxy 3' will be 'last time people will see this team'
'Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3' director James Gunn says the film is 'the last time people will see this team of Guardians.'ew.com
James Gunn says Guardians of the Galaxy 3 will be the 'last time people will see this team'
The writer-director also said he's working on another DC Comics television series that's a spin-off of The Suicide Squad.
By Nick RomanoJanuary 28, 2022 at 10:36 AM EST
ADVERTISEMENT
SaveFBTweetMore
00:01
00:15
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
TYPE
GENRE
- Movie
Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 will close a chapter for its heroic group of cosmic misfits.
Director James Gunn confirmed during a recent interview that the third installment of his sci-fi trilogy is "the last time people will see this team of Guardians."
"This is the end for us," the filmmaker said on Deadline's Hero Nation podcast.
Chris Pratt's Star-Lord leads his team of cosmic misfits in 'Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2.'
| CREDIT: EVERETT COLLECTION
What's interesting is his phrasing: He said "this team of Guardians," which doesn't necessarily mean we won't get any more Guardians movies or that we won't see another grouping of superheroes operating as the Guardians of the Galaxy. But it does suggest that we won't be seeing Chris Pratt's Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana's Gamora, Dave Bautista's Drax, Bradley Cooper's Rocket, Vin Diesel's Groot, Karen Gillian's Nebula, and Pom Klementieff's Mantis traversing the universe together in the Milano ship after this latest movie.
Enter your email to sign up for our daily newsletters.
close dialog
Are you an Academy or Guild member?
Sign up for the Awardist newsletter, featuring expert awards season analysis from EW editors and interviews with top contenders.
COUNT ME IN
Privacy Policy
|
Terms of Service
"It's big," Gunn said of the film. "It's so, so big and dark, and different from what people might be expecting it to be."
He added, "I just want to be true to the characters, and I want to be true to the story, and I want to give people the wrap-up they deserve for the story. That is always a little bit scary."
Will Poulter joins the cast of Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 as Adam Warlock, a notable character from the comics and one teased in an end-credits sequence attached to the second movie.
Avengers: Endgame showed Chris Hemsworth's Thor leaving Earth with the Guardians in the Milano, setting up the events of Thor: Love and Thunder, which could also have an impact on GOTG 3.
Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 is currently scheduled to open in theaters May 5, 2023.
Meanwhile, Gunn said he's developing another spin-off series of The Suicide Squad following Peacemaker's first season on HBO Max. He wrote all eight episodes of the HBO Max dramedy starring John Cena and is executive producing it with Peter Safran.
"We're working on something else now — another TV show that's connected to that universe," Gunn told Hero Nation. "I can't quite say, but, yeah, we're working on something else."
Whatever that project is, Gunn did reveal this: "It will not be the same genre as Peacemaker. It won't be as much of a comedy."
Listen to the full interview with Gunn on the Hero Nation podcast.
@playahaitian Just a suggestion you may want to edit thread title to make this a GoG discussion.
James Gunn joins DC Studios as co-chair of film and TV
James Gunn and Peter Safran have been tapped to oversee the creative direction of the DC Universe across film, TV, and animation.
Zoe Saldaña Says She Expects Marvel’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Will Return: “It’d Be a Huge Loss”
Nevertheless, Saldaña also said she doesn't see herself returning to play Marvel's Gamora.
www.hollywoodreporter.com
Michael Rosenbaum reveals Marvel ‘cut a lot out’ from his 'Guardians of the Galaxy' role
Michael Rosenbaum, who played the Ravager Martinex in two 'Guardians of the Galaxy' movies, said that Marvel 'cut a lot out' from his character's screen time in James Gunn's sci-fi trilogy.
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