The recent signing of one James Gunn has given theDCUniverse a hefty boost for its future, but regardless of that, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige wants to remind the writer and director he’s still technically his boss until next year.
Feige’s comments came during Marvel Studios' red carpet premiere forBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever, where he was asked, among other topics, about how he felt about having Gunn defect toDC’s troubled cinematic universe after Warner Bros. Discovery announced his new position. In DC’s new attempt at corporate reshuffling, Gunn was brought on board to serve as co-chairman and co-CEO of the newly formed DC Studios, alongside producer Peter Safran, withtheGuardians of the Galaxydirectorhandling creative duties.
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As part ofDeadline’s coverage of the red carpet event, Feige responded to a reporter’s question on the matter jokingly. Feige said Gunn has “a lot of work to do for Marvel between now and May,” in reference tothe director’sGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, as well as the upcomingHoliday Special. Despite that, the Marvel Studios chief still voiced his support for Gunn, saying he’ll be first in line to go see anything DC with his name on it after both his MCU films proved to be highly successful for his own studio.
In the past, Feige has warned other studios striving to create their own cinematic universes similar to Marvel Studios' that it’s simply not an easy job. That said, Warner Bros.' hiring of Gunn certainly speaks of the studio trying to correct its course to achieve that with a proven talent at the helm. So far, Gunn has madeThe Suicide SquadandPeacemakerunder the DC brand, with both productions getting above-average reception compared to most superhero projects from the studio.
After Marvel Studios' panel at San Diego Comic-Con, where thefirstGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3trailerwas shown, Gunn commented that the preview was not released to the public due to it still having unfinished visual effects that fans aren’t used to, so Feige is right about him currently being busy with his MCU projects. One of the most unique aspects about Gunn is how he often goes on Twitter to share his creative insight, including a recent hot take of Gunn describing how chaotic some modern sets tend to be.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3is slated for May 13, 2025, though fans of Gunn’s work won’t have to wait too long now thatThe Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Specialtraileris out. In the meantime, DC higher-ups are still making hard decisions such as the recent backtracking on HBO’sGreen Lantern, which will now likely be part of Gunn’s DC era.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Specialwill be available on Disney Plus starting June 28, 2025.
