What James Gunn’s DC Role Means For GOTG 3 & The Holiday Special

Warner Bros. has finally found its new DCEU heads in the form of producer Peter Safran and director James Gunn, creating some interesting questions about Marvel and Gunn’s upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy projects. With both MCU features helmed and directed by Gunn, this means the iconic director will be working for both Warner Bros. and Marvel Studios at the same time heading into 2023. This apparent conflict of interest – on the surface at least – could cause some potential difficulties for both studios moving forwards.

As of November 1st, James Gunn and Peter Safran will be named co-CEOs of DC Films and Television, exclusively developing content for Warner Bros to expand the DCEU and beyond. However, the Kevin Bacon-starring Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is set to release November 25th with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 releasing in 2023, both of which are directed by James Gunn. Gunn’s new DC role likely won’t affect the release or content of either Marvel project, given that most of the work is already complete. Nevertheless, it’s certainly an unprecedented scenario for either studio, raising interesting questions about Gunn’s future within the genre.

Weirdly, James Gunn Will Be Working On DC & Marvel At The Same Time

Although Gunn’s new job carries a lot of exciting potential for the DCEU, it doesn’t make it any less bizarre that he’ll still be promoting films belonging to WB’s chief competition in the superhero film industry. At least until after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Gunn will very much have a foot in both cinematic universes. While he’s worked for both studios in the past, his new position as a creative overseer for DC Films and TV is a major step up that makes it even stranger. However, Warner Bros must be okay with it considering the exclusivity they’ll gain afterward.

Ironically, had Gunn not been fired by Disney due to the controversial campaign that assembled to cancel his career back in 2018, he probably wouldn’t have been up for the DC position at all. The firing is what made him available to direct 2021’s The Suicide Squad for Warner Bros., followed by the spin-off series Peacemaker. While Marvel and Disney obviously rehired James Gunn to finish the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy (and the Holiday Special), it looks as though those two projects are all they’ll get from Gunn now that he’s effectively become DC’s Kevin Feige alongside Safran.

Will James Gunn Ever Make Another Marvel Movie?

It should be noted that James Gunn’s role as DC’s new creative head doesn’t necessarily mean he’s done with Marvel for good after the release of his upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy projects. However, exploring a future Marvel film or series directed by Gunn would definitely need to come after the end of his exclusive four-year contract with Warner Bros, assuming he’s not asked to renew going forward. At any rate, James Gunn replacing Walter Hamada alongside Peter Safran will hopefully breathe new life into the DCEU that it’s desperately needed for years.