Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 has wrapped production and fans are wondering what James Gunn's next project might be. Some are even tempting him with DC Comics properties, and he's revealed he's very open to the idea.
Creators don't need to interact with fans but when they do and they're great at it, it's a really nice treat. Gunn is one of those creators. Recently he spoke on the San Diego Comic-Con footage from his upcoming Marvel release and why they chose not to release it to the public. But in a recent open Q&A on his Facebook page, the director got into all sorts of things.
He addressed recent box office news regarding Suicide Squad's record-breaking opening:
It beat us first weekend. We almost made more money second weekend. And there is a very likely chance we'll make more money at the end of the day (we made more domestically than BvS even). The great thing about Guardians wasn't that it came in and made a ton of money but that so many people went and told their friends about the movie, who went to see it, and that people kept coming back again and again. By the time we were in the later weeks, we were making more money than any comic book film EVER, which was such an amazing feeling for those of us who put our hearts into it.
On the subject of Warner Bros' DC films, a fan asked what he thought of them and if he had the chance, what character from that universe would he like to make a film about. Turns out, he hasn't seen Batman v Superman or Suicide Squad.
I thought there was some amazing action sequences in Man of Steel, but I haven't seen the other two films. I've had opportunities to make DC films, but I haven't said yes to anything, and not sure I would at this time. I've talked before about which projects appeal to me the most IF I was into making one, and it's always Shazam and Metal Men and Swamp Thing and Johan Hex and a few other DC IPs I've enjoyed for a great deal of my life.
Interesting. Out of those, only Shazam! is currently on Warner Bros' slate. And it doesn't have a director yet. Dwayne Johnson is set to play villain Black Adam but they haven't cast Shazam himself. It's been said it will have a different tone than the rest of the WB superhero films so far, which it should, and I would be interested to see what Gunn would do. Though out of those choices I think I'd like to see him do a Metal Men film more.
But wait! There's more! Another fan inquired about his Gunn's favorite female comic book character and which he'd choose to lead a film. “Maybe Batgirl,” he replied, “Cassandra Cain version.”
Not only is Batgirl long overdue to get her own film, Cassandra Cain would make for an incredible lead. Let's get started on making this happen, with or without Gunn.
Of course fans on his page had a few questions about Guardians. One wanted to know if the sequel would focus more on comedy or drama and name-dropped Thanos. Gunn said, “It's both more dramatic and funnier than the first one (those aren't two opposing things). But there's no Thanos in the film.” No Thanos is something the director has previously confirmed.
Will he return to the Marvel cinematic universe after Guardians Vol. 2 is done? “Probably not, no,” he said. “I'm not sure what's going on next but IF I chose to stay in the MCU I'd be playing solely with cosmic characters related to the Guardians-verse.”
Another asked if Gunn knew where the Hulk is currently located and he replied, “Yes, since I have the script for Thor 3 on my desk.” And he weighed in on Disneyland's Tower of Terror being converted into a Guardians ride. “I directed it, so I feel good about it,” he said. “I had my reservations, but when they showed me what they planned on doing, I was all in. It's incredibly awesome.“
I know some folks who are still upset over that one but I'm sure it will be a fantastic attraction when all is said and done.
(via Comic Book Resources)