Sean Gunn Talks About James Gunn's Career Turmoil - "He Thought His Career Was Over"

James Gunn has been very influential in the world of superhero movies thanks to his work on Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy movies.

Known for his knack for blending humor, heart, and action, Gunn has crafted some awesome and memorable comic book films that fans love.

Yet, his rise in Hollywood almost came to a screeching halt when he was fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The story of how Gunn went from being ousted by Marvel to becoming co-head of DC Studios is kind of a wild story.

Sean Gunn, James’s brother and frequent collaborator, recently reflected on this pivotal moment during an interview with CinemaBlend.

As you can imagine, the emotional toll of the firing was heavy for Gunn and those closest to him. Sean shared:

“It was really devastating to me, personally. But I also was more worried about my brother who I know thought his career was over for a minute. What he was going through, I know, was incredibly difficult.”

Despite the turmoil, the industry quickly took note of Gunn’s talent. As Sean explained, Warner Bros. saw an opportunity in Gunn’s predicament. He said:

“My understanding is that Warner Bros. contacted him pretty quickly and said, ‘We want you to come do something here.’”

That "something" turned into a dream opportunity… co-heading DC Studios alongside producer Peter Safran. Together, Gunn and Safran have laid the foundation for a reimagined DC Universe, with Gunn steering the creative vision and Safran managing the business strategy.

The results are already promising, with projects like Creature Commandos and the first Superman trailer generating huge buzz among fans and critics alike.

But before taking the reins at DC, Gunn had to prove himself. Warner Bros. granted him the chance to make The Suicide Squad, which was a surprising decision given the lukewarm reception of the first Suicide Squad film.

Gunn’s approach was straightforward but assertive, as Sean recounted:

“They might have had their ideas about, ‘We can tell you what we’d most like you to do.’ And he’s like, ‘Well, I’m just going to tell you what I’d like to do, which is … my first choice would be Suicide Squad, but I know you just made a Suicide Squad movie. “So maybe you don’t want me to do that.’

And they were like, ‘If you want to make another one, let’s just do it.’”

The gamble paid off. The Suicide Squad was a critical and commercial success, anchoring Gunn’s place in the DC fold. His work on the film led to the Peacemaker spinoff series and paved the way for his eventual return to Marvel to complete his Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy.

As Sean pointed out: “People in the business of making movies recognize talent, and they know how to not pass up an opportunity.”

James previously talked about his own experience, saying:

"For a beat there it was like, 'Holy Shit. I've been working my entire life to be loved by all of these people, by the world, so I can feel okay about myself.

And everything I've worked for is gone. At that point, I thought that I was going to have to sell my house and move away, that my career was completely over. And for a brief moment, it was.

He went on to talk about when he started to see the light from the love that he was getting from his family and friends:

"Then I started to try to take care of myself, do the best I can. But the thing that was so amazing to me was, in that moment of lowness, when I couldn't help anyone, is when people came to me and showed me the greatest love.

“People like you, especially my future wife, Jen [Holland], my family, my mom and dad. You know, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff, all of the Guardians. Zoe [Saldana] coming over and cooking me dinner. Sylvester Stallone. The amount of people that showed me love in a moment when I was completely weak."

Gunn went on to explain that potentially losing his job turned out to be the most freeing experience of his career. When he felt like he had lost everything, that’s when the people who loved him around embraced him the most:

"It was just stunning to me, and I felt like for the first time in my life I felt loved. And so that thing I had been searching for my entire life, to feel loved from something outside of me, to make myself feel okay, I could not experience it until I let go of my desperation to receive it. That was when I felt truly okay."

Gunn being able to rebound from what he went through is a crazy story considering how so many other people were being canceled at that time. Gunn hit rock bottom in the industry and didn’t think he would recover and now he is in a position where he is shaping the future of the DC Universe any way he wants.