James Gunn Didn’t Want Thor in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 - “I Don’t Understand How to Write That Character”
Marvel fans are used to seeing characters crossover with other movies in the MCU, so when Avengers: Endgame ended with Thor hitching a ride on the Benatar, many assumed the God of Thunder would be sticking around for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. But, James Gunn had other plans, ones that didn’t involve Thor at all.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Gunn revealed he flat-out told Marvel he didn’t want to include Thor in the Guardians’ final chapter. Gunn said:
“I said in the script notes: ‘I’m not gonna put him in. I don’t want to have Thor in the Guardians. I don’t want to do a movie with Thor.
“I don’t understand the character that much. I love watching his movies and I love Chris Hemsworth as a guy. I don’t understand how to write that character.”
Gunn opted to stay true to the tone and dynamics he’d already spent two films crafting. His Guardians weren’t a backdrop for another Thor adventure; they had their own story to finish.
In the end, Marvel used Thor: Love and Thunder to quickly wrap up that unexpected pairing. The Guardians appear briefly at the beginning of that film before parting ways with Thor after a distress call from Lady Sif, effectively pressing the reset button on the Guardians lineup before Vol. 3 dropped in 2023.
And while Gunn has officially closed the chapter on the Guardians saga, he's now turning the page in a big way with Superman, the first film in his new DC Universe.
The movie stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as a freshly-shaved Lex Luthor. The movie also stars Isabela Merced, Nathan Fillion, and Anthony Carrigan.
Superman flies into theaters July 11.