James Gunn Has the Freedom to Do His Own Thing With GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
I've always wondered how much creative freedom Marvel actually gives the directors they hire to make their movies. I imagine it varies from one director to another, but it sounds like the studio has given James Gunn the power and creative freedom to do whatever the hell he wants with Guardians of the Galaxy.
During a Q&A session on Facebook Gunn was asked:
"How far ahead of time does Marvel communicate their ideas for the direction of the movie and how much input do they give concerning the mid-credits scenes?"
As it turns out, Marvel doesn't give Gunn any ideas or point him in the direction to take the movie. Everything we see on screen is his own ideas. He explains in the following reply:
"The story and end credit scenes are all mine. Marvel okays everything of course but the ideas are from me. I've never been given some plot point I have to fit into the movie."
I guess when Marvel trusts their property with someone they let them have at it. I think Gunn might be a special case, though, because Guardians of the Galaxy is kind of its own thing. But I don't know how it works because as we all know Edgar Wright dropped out of Ant-Man because of creative differences. So I guess if Gunn were to have an idea that didn't mesh with what Marvel envisioned, maybe they'd make him change something.
Regardless, it is cool to know that Marvel has allowed Gunn that kind of freedom. It just means that everything that we see from him in the Marvel universe is all his own.
The director also revealed he's nearly done filming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and announced a raffle for an autographed photo of the cast and a hat that only members of the cast and crew get. To enter the raffle, you just need to donate $5 to the Rainforest Trust.
"Guardians of the Galaxy’s support of Rainforest Trust dates back to the beginning of the series when Vin Diesel (voice of Groot) sprouted the idea for the “Plant a Tree for Groot” challenge in 2014. Gunn soon upped the ante, saying that he would donate $5,000 dollars if 50 people planted trees in Groot’s honor. Since then, Gunn has been a supporter of multiple Rainforest Trust projects such as the creation of a safe haven for Matschie’s Tree-kangaroos in Papua New Guinea and the My Chocolate Acre campaign with Endangered Species Chocolate. Gunn’s Guardians poster raffle shows that even $5 can have a positive impact on the conservation of rainforests."
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will be released in theaters on May 5th, 2017.