In the meantime, the confirmation that Gunn will not direct the third film of the series, although it may or may not use his script, leads to the question of who will take over for him. More than almost any other MCU director, James Gunn's own personality infused the first two Guardians films to a massive degree, leading to a distinct vision that will be difficult to replicate. Nonetheless, that is exactly what must happen now. It may not address the issues, but we can have a good bit of fun thinking about where this franchise could go.
This will be the sixth time the MCU has switched directors mid-series. Of the other five the only switch resulting in a weaker film was when Alan Taylor took on Thor: The Dark World, after Kenneth Branagh had directed the original. Though Shane Black's work on Iron Man 3 was roughly equal to Jon Favreau's on the original, the Russo Brothers improved both the Captain America and Avengers franchises, and Taika Waititi managed to turn the third installment of the struggling Thor series into a massive hit. Though Gunn's influence will be missed on Guardians 3, history has shown that Marvel is great at picking directors to take over their series, and may even be able to find someone who can add a special something to the property that we didn't know we wanted.
So, to start off with, I'm going to have some fun and look at a few picks that will never happen, but could be interesting in a parallel universe. Then, I will go to my top picks that are at least somewhat realistic. Without further ado, here we go...
Top 3 It'll Never Happens
#3
Nicolas Winding Refn
Now, of course, not only will this never happen, but it would be a terrible idea if it did. Nicolas Winding Refn has made a name for himself directing slow, artsy, occasionally pretentious and horrifically violent low budget thrillers. His strengths run almost complete opposite to what a Guardians of the Galaxy film needs. That being said, the very last thing a Guardians film by Refn would be is boring. The sheer level of trainwreck and poor matching of director to source materieal would render the film intriguing. Call it a morbid curiosity, but I kind of want to see what that would look like.
#2
Edgar Wright
On paper, this seems like a perfect fit. Edgar Wright's career is full of creatively over-the-top action sequences, gut busting comedy and even a decent amount of heart. Take all of those, add a keen ear for proper use of licensed music (as shown in last year's Baby Driver), and you have yourself the perfect Guardians of the Galaxy film. Hell, Edgar Wright even has a history with Marvel, as he was the original director brought in to bring Ant Man to the screen. Unfortunately, that history is why he's listed as a "never gonna happen." Edgar Wright left Ant Man due to not wanting to work within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He wanted the film to be completely stand alone, which goes against the world Marvel was and is creating. Especially after the success of Baby Driver, it's hard to imagine Wright's stance has changed, so chalk this one up to a distant dream.
#1
Joe and Anthony Russo
Since the success of 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier Joe and Anthony Russo have become Marvel's top dogs. They are also, thanks to their work on Infinity War the only directors other than James Gunn to have worked with the Guardians of the Galaxy. Their work with the team was exemplary, as they kept the Guardians irreverent tone, while simultaneously allowing them to feel like part of the same universe as the Avengers, with who they finally shared screen time. Though they've shown they can handle the characters, they've spent the last five years working on Marvel's largest properties. After the monumental scale and achievement of Infinity War and its upcoming sequel, it's hard to imagine these two jumping right back into another mega budget tentpole film. I could be wrong, but I think they've earned their rest.
The Top 5 Hopefuls
#5
Adam McKay
After spending the early years of his career working on Will Farrell comedies like Anchorman and The Other Guys, Adam McKay has recently taken to writing and directing more realistic political satire. The Big Short was a film equal parts clever and informative, and this fall's Backseat looks to repeat that formula. As well, the level of satire in Anchorman's massive 2nd act battle shows both a strong understanding of action beats, and how to respect them and make fun of them at the same time. It's difficult to imagine his flavor being as interesting or unique as Gunn's, but he would likely manage the more comedic aspects of the film well.
#4
Michelle Maclaren
Though Maclaren made her name on television, rather than film, her work on series Breaking Bad, The Deuce and Game of Thrones shows a cinematic eye that could suit a big budget franchise film very well. In truth, she's been looking to make her feature debut for a while now, even attaching herself to Wonder Woman, though she eventually left that project and Patty Jenkins took over. She's been working lately on developing the feature Cowboy Ninja Viking with Chris Pratt, so now that that's delayed and the connection is there, she's very potentially one of the names they are talking about. As she has had a strong hand in shaping the cinematic nature of television today, her work would not go amiss.
#3
Phil Lord & Chris Miller
This directing duo used to be known primarily for The Lego Movie and their 21 Jump Street reboot, showing a keen eye for momentum and fun that audiences latched onto. Lately, however, they're known as the guys that got fired from Solo: A Star Wars Story. While the full story is marred by conflicting accounts, it sounds like they were let go for ignoring the script and the Star Wars tone in favor of their own style. Thankfully, Marvel as of late is more open to director's expressing their own vision. It would be different than James Gunn's tone, but a Guardians film by these two could be one of the most fun blockbusters in years, and could allow Disney to apologize for firing them, in wake of Solo's commercial failure.
#2
Taika Waititi
As far as in-house options go, this is their best bet. Taika Waititi's work on Thor: Ragnarok saved that series and character from being at the bottom of Marvel's popularity barrel. Ragnarok's largely improvised dialogue is an absolute comedic high point of the Marvel Franchise, and the crazy visuals and silly-but-still-cool action shows that Waititi took more than a few tips from Gunn's work on the previous Guardians films. Plus, it seems like Marvel and the entire cast fully enjoyed Waititi's personality, and you can bet that his touch would be welcomed back to Marvel with open arms. Without another Thor film on Marvel's upcoming schedule, this could be a great way to bring him back. That said, there's a good chance there WILL be another Thor film, in which case that would take priority for him. But come on, you can't tell me you don't want to see Rocket and Korg share screen time.
#1
Brad Bird
Ultimately, Marvel's best option is to find a new director who can put their own stamp onto the Guardians series while keeping it's greatest strengths. Best known for The Incredibles films, Ratatouille and The Iron Giant, Bird has spent most of his career working simultaneously in action, comedy and drama. Though many of the other directors on this list can handle the action and comedy required of the series, Bird is one of the few who could do all of that, and also possibly make audiences cry through his powerful use of emotion. All four of his animated features are immensely character driven pieces, something which would serve Marvel well. Though Tomorrowland is admittedly... problematic, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol proved that he could handle a big budget, live action film, and he is largely responsible for elevating that series to where it is today. Perhaps not the most likely choice, a Guardians film by Bird would be an exciting, fun and emotional film, and maybe, just maybe, could have a chance to even improve upon the first two films in the series.
Of course, these are all just my opinions. Everyone is more than welcome to disagree, as differing opinions is one of the most fun aspects of film discussion. If you have other ideas feel free to include them in the comments to start a discussion. Soon enough, hopefully we'll see who Marvel picks, and I believe they will make a choice in the end that will, if nothing else, create a fun film on the upper tier of modern day blockbusters. It won't be the same film Gunn would have made, but there's still plenty of potential.
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