It’s no secret that superhero movies are an extremely popular genre in the entertainment industry. And as such, certain filmmakers and actors have worked in multiple cinematic universes. James Gunn has been in that category, known for his work on Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and DC’s The Suicide Squad. He was recently given a major promotion as co-chairperson and CEOs of DC Films, which is news that broke the internet and thrilled moviegoers. And Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige has reacted to Gunn’s new role at DC.
Kevin Feige is the architect of the MCU, and is intimately involved with the various projects that make up the shared universe. And now his colleague James Gunn is stepping into a similar role at DC, which may hint that his Marvel tenure is over after Guardians 3. Feige was asked by Deadline about Gunn’s new role he said:
He’s got a lot of work to do for Marvel between now and May, which he’s aware of. But after that I’ll be first in line to see anything he does.
Fair point. While Kevin Feige is planning on supporting anything that James Gunn works on at DC, he’s first focused on the various MCU projects that he’s currently working on with the filmmaker. That includes both the Guardians threequel and the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. And the latter of which will be here before we know it.
Kevin Feige’s comments to Deadline about James Gunn come as he was attending the premiere of Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Eventually the conversation turned to the DCEU, which has been providing a ton of surprises like the return of Henry Cavill’s Superman. And it sounds like Feige is happy for Gunn, although their collaboration is far from over for the time being.
James Gunn has been impressively pivoting between the two superheroic studios for a few years now. After being temporarily fired from the MCU, he worked on both The Suicide Squad and its TV spinoff Peacemaker for DC. But upon wrapping those projects he returned to Marvel for the I Am Groot animated series, the Guardians Holiday Special, and (of course) the highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movie Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
As previously mentioned, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will be here before we know it. The Disney+ special’s first trailer recently arrived online, revealing a new form for Groot and a wild celebrity cameo by Kevin Bacon. Check it out for yourself below,
Still, one has to wonder how James Gunn will help to shape the greater DC Extended Universe in his new role. After the disappointing performance of Justice League’s theatrical cut, the movie stopped its plans for the future and largely stepped away from crossovers. But that’s been changing lately, with the Justice League doing a cameo in Peacemaker, and Black Adam’s wild mid-credits scene. It should be interesting to see how Gunn’s sense of humor and emotional stakes are brought into further DCEU projects.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will arrive on Disney+ on November 25, 2022. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
