Now that Guardians of the Galaxy, James Gunn has gone on record saying he has no interest in directing a Star Wars film.
While it may never happen it doesn't mean that Gunn isn't more than qualified to take the helm. In fact, his firing (and then rehiring) on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and his subsequent attachment to The Suicide Squad does prove that Gunn jas something to offer other franchises. This list will have a look at Gunn's directing styles and his position in Hollywood to argue the case that he should be given a Star Wars movie.
Sense of Humor
It's true that some of the jokes in the Star Wars sequel trilogy have seemingly borrowed from the Marvel formula. And while Marvel's sense of humor is more hit than miss, it has been accused of being too one-note and it doesn't quite work within a Star Wars context.
James Gunn has always had a bit more of an independent voice (it's part of what makes Guardians so successful) and his jokes often have a slightly harder edge to them. Crucially the lines are funny because they're written specifically for each character. Star Wars' strong characters could be made even stronger with a well-judged script from Gunn.
Rocket Raccoon
One of Gunn's crowning achievement is how he handled Rocket Raccoon. Who'd have thought that what would hit best in Guardians were two entirely CGI characters? But Gunn's clear love for the character has breathed new life into Marvel's human-centric roster.
Star Wars is a universe full of great creatures, but other than Yoda (or Chewbacca) it hasn't produced many long-lasting non-human characters. The prequels tried with Jar Jar and the sequels mainly reused existing characters. Gunn would be an excellent choice for finally giving lasting life to another non-human character.
World Building
As beloved as the universe of the Skywalker saga is, it is well and truly established now. Fans know what to expect the movies to feel like, there may be a new planet but it will remain recognizable within the canon. In two movies Gunn introduced a whole new side of the MCU to fans.
A world of intergalactic governments, noble races, an interstellar underworld, and cosmic gods. While The Mandalorian has been giving fans a new side to the world they love, if given some free reign, Gunn could establish a whole new corner of the Star Wars universe.
Multiple Characters
Not just in the Guardians films but in his early work, like Slither, James Gunn has always made movies with a wide collection of characters. Not only do these multiple characters expand the story, but they all have very satisfying and complete arcs (especially in Guardians 2). It's no easy feat and really shows off Gunn's skill as a screenwriter.
Star Wars has often been guilty of sidelining some characters (particularly Episode 9), but with Gunn in charge, the audience is almost guaranteed to have a satisfying conclusion to each character's story, rather than focusing on the destiny of one hero alone.
He's in With Disney
It has been a rough time recently to be a Star Wars director: a lot of directors have been fired with Disney turning to old favorites, like Jon Favreau, to do the job instead. Gunn was, infamously fired from Guardians 3 for some old tweets that were in bad taste.
However, he apparently managed to convince the Disney higher-ups that he was genuinely remorseful and to give him his job back. Marking him clearly as a director Disney can trust, he's surely a safe bet for them when it comes to resolving their (ongoing) director issues.
He'd Shake up the Series
Star Wars is beloved by nearly everyone. There's no denying its success, but with Episode 9 wrapping up the entire Skywalker Saga, the series is screaming for something new. Gunn was a risky choice when he was picked by Marvel, but the risk massively paid off. His film shook up and expanded a franchise that was at risk of becoming repetitive.
Just as Rian Johnson has promised to deliver something the fans haven't seen before, Gunn could deliver something that not only hasn't been seen, but that hasn't been felt in a Star Wars film before.
Animals/Aliens
It has been common practice in Star Wars properties that when a giant space creature or animal pops up the heroes have to kill it immediately. With the exception of the snake in Episode 9, nearly every creature meets a grizzly end, a tradition that continues even into The Mandalorian.
However, Gunn is a very out-spoken animal lover, it's partly why he loves Rocket so much. He could well be the exact person required to change-up a long-established Star Wars tradition and not only deliver something unexpected, but again, open the fans up to new characters to enjoy.
Father Issues
Star Wars is full of father issues, and parental problems in general. It seems that not a single character can get through life without having to overcome something to do with their parents. Gunn is no stranger to this either. While it's a frequent theme in a few of his films, it achieved perfection in Guardians 2.
Father issues are very common tropes in comic book movies anyway, but Gunn did manage to make it feel fresh. Not only does he tackle parenting issues in interesting ways he always manages to expand it to a wider theme about family. He could be key to resolving Star Wars' complex Dads.
A New Team
If Star Wars is keen on exploring new territory then it will need a brand new team to do so. Establishing new characters is difficult, especially as Star Wars has always relied on preexisting canon.
Yet nearly every one of Gunn's films, (including his earliest efforts as a writer on the Scooby-Doo movies), feature some kind of team and a new challenge they have to overcome. In fact, he does this so often it's almost a trope. However, it is another reason that proves, despite his lack of interest, a new Star Wars movie is well within his wheelhouse.
A Smaller Story
While his films have very complex and well-realized characters, the overall stories are deceptively simple. They usually revolve around resolving one single issue, which connects the characters together. Star Wars can, at times, get a little lofty in its ambitions and as a result, it packs too much into one film, the continuous fetch-quests in Episode 9 are a good example of this.
Solo may have benefitted from a smaller story rather than putting in as much canon as possible. To truly kick off a new era of Star Wars then maybe what's needed is a film with a small story but that establishes fantastic new characters to fall in love with.
