From this point forward, James Gunn’s legacy likely will be defined by the work he does in the DC Universe, rebooting Superman and setting up a 10-year plan for upcoming DC movies and television shows that are meant to wash the taste of the DCEU out of fans’ mouths. But no matter how much work he does on DC, Gunn will forever be tied to the early days of Marvel Studios, and the band of misfits he helped to launch through his Guardians of the Galaxy series. Gunn blended some of his Troma roots into the sci-fi comedy, but eventually poured heart into the final chapter of the trilogy, focusing on Rocket Raccoon as the main protagonist of the series’ arc. Which helps explain why Gunn got so emotional following a Wheel of Fortune puzzle.
In the category “Movie Quote,” Wheel of Fortune showcased the line, “The name’s Rocket. Rocket Raccoon.” It was an unforgettable moment featured in the culminating battle of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, where Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) finally stared down the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) and reclaimed his identity. It played out like so:
And when you step back to think about it, this was the moment to which the Guardians franchise had been building. Of course, there are other important threads happening in the trilogy, from Peter Quill’s efforts to find a family to the ongoing struggles endured between sisters Nebula and Gamora. But ultimately, the beating heart of the trilogy has fallen to the Trash Panda who shunned emotional attachments until he didn’t, and who ignored the tragedies of his past until he no longer could. Which prompted James Gunn to share this very sweet message on Threads following the puzzle reveal:
I’m genuinely curious what the future of the Guardians of the Galaxy – as a team – will be. The ensemble doesn’t need to end with Gunn. Far be it. Another creative voice can take over where the team left off. By the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the Guardians as we knew them consisted of Rocket, Groot, Phyla, Kraglin, Cosmo the Dog, and Adam Warlock. At the same time, a title card at the VERY end of the movie promised that “the legendary Star-Lord will return.” Will that be in one of the planned Avengers movies? Could a different filmmaker take Star-Lord to a Marvel/Disney+ series that explores his life back on Earth? The possibilities are endless, especially after the Guardians for their own Christmas special. We will see what is to come of them, and which other game shows celebrate the legacy of Marvel’s asshole family.
