Disney is reportedly considering bringing back James Gunn – but not for Guardians of the Galaxy 3

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The MCU’s Phase 4 could still feature the director in some capacity

As of right now, James Gunn is persona non grata within Disney. That could all change, though. While Guardians of the Galaxy 3’s future is still very much up in the air – and may not even include one of its stars in Dave Bautista’s Drax – there has been some talk about Gunn returning to the MCU fold, but to direct a new Phase 4 movie.

THR is reporting that a pair of sources close to the situation remain hopeful of Gunn, who was fired after several controversial tweets re-surfaced, coming back to Marvel under a different guise, even if that means directing or producing a movie away from Guardians of the Galaxy.

The main takeaway from this is that Disney hasn’t closed the door on Gunn just yet. One source explains that, “An end-all verdict hasn’t been issued and conversations with Marvel are still ongoing,” which sounds promising for anyone wishing to see the director return.

So, what could that all mean? For one thing, Gunn has made a name for himself solely within the cosmic confines of the MCU. Should Marvel want to go further in that spacefaring direction for Phase 4, they have a man ready, willing, and able – should the distance of both time and being away from a possibly toxic partnership with his baby of a franchise in the Guardians of the Galaxy – to step into the breach if required.

Time, as we all know, is a healer. This tidbit of news is offering our biggest glimpse yet at Disney not wanting to square away James Gunn entirely, even if we’re entering a Gunn-less Guardians future - which can only be good news for everybody involved.

Bradley Russell
Bradley Russell
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.