Photo: Jun Sato (Getty Images)
Director James Gunn is going from Marvel to DC. In a surprise move, the fired Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker is in talks to write and possibly direct Suicide Squad 2.
In His Own Words: James Gunn Talks ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy’
This is a shocking second chance for Gunn. His future was unclear after Disney parted ways him following the release of old controversial tweets. The outspoken director was called out by alt-right journalists who uncovered Gunn’s since-deleted tweets from 2008 to 2009 that joke about rape and pedophilia.
1. Many people who have followed my career know when I started, I viewed myself as a provocateur, making movies and telling jokes that were outrageous and taboo. As I have discussed publicly many times, as I’ve developed as a person, so has my work and my humor.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 20, 2018
Although some felt that Gunn was being unfairly targeted for his socio-political stances, he apologized for the distasteful comments. Disney subsequently took him off Guardians of the Galaxy 3, much to the chagrin of his cast, most notably David Bautista.
I will have more to say but for right now all I will say is this..@JamesGunn is one of the most loving,caring,good natured people I have ever met. He’s gentle and kind and cares deeply for people and animals. He’s made mistakes. We all have. Im NOT ok with what’s happening to him
— Dave Bautista (@DaveBautista) July 21, 2018
This could be the perfect poach for DC, which is desperate for a hit outside of Wonder Woman and the upcoming Aquaman. Gunn is supposedly bringing a new take to Suicide Squad after David Ayer’s first installment was generally loathed, despite grossing $746 million.
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Ironically, Guardians of the Galaxy 3 still doesn’t have a director, although rumor has it that Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok) is the most logical choice and the fan favorite.