After four years, James Gunn is stepping down as DC Studios co-CEO alongside Peter Safran, but Marvel fans are taking this as a win, as many want the Guardians of the Galaxy director to come back to the MCU.
"Kevin Feige, it's time to bring James Gunn back into the fold," said one fan on Reddit just hours after the news broke. Others seem to agree, as another added, "The people acting like Gunn is awful and don’t want him returning to Marvel are fucking crazy. All three Guardians of the Galaxy movies are great, and he was a great second or third unit director to have on hand for the bigger projects. You’d be crazy to not welcome him back. He has still done cosmic Marvel the best when it comes to the movies."
One fan on Twitter let Gunn know exactly what he should do next, writing, "start drafting the script for Guardians of the Galaxy 4." Another said, "James Gunn no longer DC head means Guardians of the Galaxy 4 confirmed at Marvel?" Let's go."
Gunn started working with Marvel in 2012 when he was hired to co-write and direct the first Guardians of the Galaxy, which was released in 2014. The filmmaker went on to direct scenes in Doctor Strange and wrote and directed the second Guardians movie. However, just as he was slated to direct the third movie, Disney fired Gunn from Marvel Studios in 2018 due to resurfaced social media posts.
Gunn was rehired by Marvel in 2019 and later directed Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3. But he slowly made the jump to DC, writing and directing the 2021 movie The Suicide Squad and then the HBO show Peacemaker. Then in 2022, Gunn was made co-CEO of DC Studios alongside his long-term collaborator Safran. However, with Gunn now stepping down as DC boss, perhaps the filmmaker will jump ship again.
The DC shake-up comes after Skydance acquired Warner Bros. earlier this year. Gunn and Safran will be replaced by former Marvel Studios executive Jeremy Latcham on December 1, 2026. In a statement posted on Instagram, Gunn said he feels relieved and that he "disliked the at-times corporate nature of the job" and had "difficulty" with "dividing my time between projects" and his role as CEO.
Gunn only launched the DCU: Chapter One with Superman last year. Though reports suggest that the DCU will be dismantled, it looks like projects that are currently in the works will still go forward, including Man of Tomorrow, The People v. Gorilla Grodd, and Creature Commandos season 2.
For more, check out our guide on how to watch the DC movies in order, and keep up with upcoming DC movies and shows announced before Gunn's departure.
