Although he helped bring Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon and Groot into the mainstream with Marvel Studios' first two Guardians of the Galaxy films, filmmaker James Gunn will soon enter the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) as writer and director of The Suicide Squad, signing on less than three months after being fired from Marvel. But in an interesting twist, Gunn revealed that his return to Marvel and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 happened the day after he signed on for The Suicide Squad.
While speaking to Empire magazine in its The Suicide Squad issue, Gunn discussed his return to Disney and Marvel, calling it "a happy ending."
"It was a happy ending, but it was also scary, because I actually got the call from Alan Horn long before it was announced: it happened literally the day after I agreed to do The Suicide Squad,” Gunn stated.
During the summer of 2018, Gunn was fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 after offensive tweets he made regarding rape and pedophilia several years prior were uncovered by right-wing detractors. Horn, the chairman of Walt Disney Studios, stated that the "offensive attitudes and statements" found on Gunn's Twitter account were " indefensible and inconsistent" with Disney's values. Gunn would later return to Marvel in early 2019, though Gunn will finish work on The Suicide Squad before helming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Written and directed by James Gunn, The Suicide Squad stars Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag, Michael Rooker as Savant, Flula Borg as Javelin, David Dastmalchian as Polka-Dot Man, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher 2, Idris Elba as Bloodsport, Mayling NG as Mongal, Peter Capaldi as The Thinker, Alice Braga as Solsoria, Steve Agee as King Shark, Pete Davidson as Blackguard, Nathan Fillion as TDK, Sean Gunn as Weasel, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang, John Cena as Peacemaker, Taika Waititi and Storm Reid. The film arrives in theaters Aug. 6, 2021.
Written and directed by James Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 currently has no release date. The film is expected to begin production in February 2021.
Source: Empire