James Gunn is taking over as the co-CEO of DC Studios, and the filmmaker's remaining commitments to Marvel will have him stretched between the two rival superhero camps for a time. Gunn is one of the business's premiere comic book movie directors, and his name is inextricably attached to Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. Gunn has worked under both the Marvel and DC banners in the past, making him one of the few directors to lead films for both production houses.
DC has initiated a major corporate shakeup since Warner Bros merged with Discovery in April and named David Zaslav CEO of the enterprise. Zaslav removed numerous executives, and the turnover was stamped with the recent exit of DC Films President Walter Hamada. Hamada was frustrated by the scuttling of the Batgirl film just before it crossed the finish line; since his departure, the company axed billions of dollars worth of projects in a slate-clearing, money-saving effort. DC had long been looking for their own version of Marvel boss Kevin Feige and believe Gunn's world-building ability displayed by Guardians of the Galaxy makes him the man for the job.
Gunn does have outstanding Marvel projects that will come due while he's serving as the face of the DC brand. The Gunn takeover of DC Studios will finalize on November 1, while Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is slated for a May 5, 2023 release. THR reporter Aaron Couch tweeted that Gunn will play a role in promoting the third Guardians installment, meaning the co-CEO of DC Studios will be marketing the Marvel brand for about six months. It's in DC's interest that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 succeeds, as it could deliver momentum for future projects that bear Gunn's signature.
James Gunn's Future With Marvel Is Uncertain Amid DC Takeover
Gunn has said that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will likely be his final film for Marvel. The Guardians characters are Marvel's intellectual property and will continue to play a part in the MCU. Gunn was consulted with for the Guardians appearance in far-reaching ensemble films like the Avengers, and fans revolted when he was briefly removed from the director's seat on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Now that Gunn has formally ed DC, his input on the fate of the Guardians is unlikely to be sought by Marvel.
But, if there were anyone capable of orchestrating a DC-Marvel crossover event, it would be James Gunn. He shepherded the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise to global notoriety while nestling the characters nicely into the MCU. He was relied on to quarterback the soft reboot of DC's Suicide Squad and is the force behind Peacemaker. He once tried to blend the projects and pitched a Guardians of the Galaxy - Suicide Squad crossover that never materialized. Still, Marvel head Kevin Feige has never ruled out a DC-Marvel crossover. Now that James Gunn is a studio boss himself, he may be able to manifest the crossover through his newly accessed influence.
Source: Aaron Couch - Twitter
