As expected, Marvel Studios conveniently ignored James Gunn‘s assertions that he was heavily involved in shaping the next 10 to 20 years of the cinematic universe’s cosmic content when the filmmaker was fired, jumped ship to DC, and then ended up as co-CEO of the entire studio.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 marks a fitting end to his association with the characters and franchise he’d called home for the better part of a decade, but it turns out that Gunn’s influence may have run a lot deeper than anyone realized. In an interview with The Wrap, the writer and director offered that his input wasn’t just restricted to the MCU’s intergalactic adventures, but the majority of projects that were in the works at any given time.
“I was consulting on everything. I was consulting on all the Marvel movies. Kevin would send me the script for Spider-Man and I’d give my notes. He’d send me the script for Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, and I’d give notes on all of those scripts. It was really as a friend and as somebody who was a part of the team and a team player.”
Not to jump to any conclusions, but given that Gunn is six-for-six when it comes to delivering acclaimed film and television projects across both of the industry’s marquee superhero mythologies, is it a coincidence that the overall quality of both Phase Five and the Multiverse Saga at large has taken a drastic downturn in quality since he decided to spearhead the overhauled DCU?
It makes for a hell of a conspiracy at the very least, but the timeline certainly matches Gunn’s diminished level of input on the grand calculus of the MCU coinciding with the formerly bulletproof property delivering several of its weakest offerings in such quick succession.