When Avengers: Endgame ended with Thor hitching a journey aboard the Milano, many followers assumed they’d see the God of Thunder getting cozy with the Guardians of the Galaxy of their subsequent journey. Nonetheless, when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (which you’ll stream with a Disney+ subscription) rolled into theaters, Thor was M.I.A. So, what provides? In accordance with James Gunn, the reply is refreshingly sincere and surprisingly private.
In an unique interview with EW as a part of their Superman cowl story, Gunn defined that his resolution to maintain Thor out of Guardians Vol. 3 wasn’t about contracts, tone clashes, or franchise fatigue. It got here down to 1 easy reality: he simply didn’t join with the character. He defined to the outlet:
I stated within the script notes: ‘I’m not gonna put him in. I don’t need to have Thor within the Guardians. I don’t need to do a film with Thor.’ I don’t perceive the character that a lot. I love watching his motion pictures and I love Chris Hemsworth as a man. I do not perceive the right way to write that character.
It’s uncommon to listen to a director admit they’re not the proper match for a well-liked superhero film character, particularly one performed by one in all Hollywood’s most bankable stars. However the Tremendous director has all the time marched to his personal “cosmic” beat. His Guardians trilogy has by no means been about ticking containers or following developments, making them a few of the finest Marvel motion pictures. As a substitute, it’s centered on emotionally damaged oddballs studying to change into a household, and Vol. 3 stayed true to that mission with none thunderbolts or hammers in sight.
This wasn’t Gunn’s first time wrestling with the ripple results of interconnected cinematic universes, both. In the identical interview, he talked candidly concerning the issues of planting seeds in post-credit scenes that later change into storytelling burdens. He pointed to the Adam Warlock tease on the finish of Guardians Vol. 2 as a chief instance. Whereas he in the end loved working with the actor, integrating Will Poulter’s Adam Warlock into Vol. 3 wasn’t precisely seamless. The Slither screenwriter added:
I didn’t like what I did in Guardians 2, the place we arrange Adam Warlock and we arrange the Guardians of the Galaxy and we arrange all this s— that I did not essentially plan on. Effectively, I guess I form of deliberate on fulfilling that promise, however you need to watch out about that. The best way a post-credits scene works is a punch to the face, like, ‘Oh my God! Take a look at this.’ At occasions if you’re utilizing it simply solely to set one thing up, generally you are screwing your self over. It was not simple to work Adam Warlock into Guardians 3. I cherished working with Will, and I preferred coping with the character, however on the finish of the day, was he form of becoming a bizarre sq. peg right into a spherical gap? A little bit bit, yeah.
The takeaway? Simply because a crossover appears good in principle doesn’t imply it belongs within the story. Gunn’s refusal to shoehorn Thor into the narrative displays a broader ethos that’s shaping his work at DC Studios and the slate of upcoming DC motion pictures. His Superman will characteristic a post-credits scene, however solely as a result of it serves the story, not as a result of it checks a franchise field.
James Gunn’s model of storytelling might not have all the time adopted the blueprint we count on upcoming Marvel motion pictures to stick to, however it was all the time rooted in intention. And that may be what makes his work stand out. Moderately than driving the momentum of a viral team-up, he selected to remain targeted on what Guardians Vol. 3 wanted to say, and who it wanted to say it by way of. And due to that, we received an incredible film.
Now, I cannot wait to see what he makes subsequent, because the July 11 launch of Superman is true across the nook on the 2025 film schedule.
