Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
Director: James Gunn
Screenwriter: James Gunn
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Bradley Cooper, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Will Poulter, Elizabeth Debicki, Maria Bakalova, Sylvester Stallone, Nathan Fillion, Linda Cardellini, Asim Chaudhry, Mikaela Hoover

How many trilogies really stick the landing?

In 2018, writer-director James Gunn was unceremoniously fired by Disney after some bad taste jokes from his early days as a comedian were unearthed on Twitter by right-wing trolls who objected to Gunn’s outspoken political views. Following a passionate campaign from fans and Gunn’s friends and colleagues, a year later he was brought back on board at Marvel to finish what he started. If you love this particular bunch of a-holes, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is going to be an emotional one.

Scoundrel-turned-superhero Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is in a dark place after making a mistake that doomed half the universe and lost him the love of his life, Gamora (Zoë Saldaña). The Guardians were restored following the defeat of Thanos, but a different Gamora – one who doesn’t even like Peter let alone love him – now stands in his paramour’s place. When an attack on the Guardian home base of Knowhere leaves one of their number mortally injured, the team set out on a quest that brings them into conflict with mad scientist the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) and causes Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) to confront his traumatic past.

What James Gunn has been hiding in plain sight up to now is that the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy is really about Rocket above anyone else. This is his journey, one that takes him from a bad start in life to being a full and happy person with people in his life he can trust and rely upon.

Much like Gollum in The Lord of the Rings, if Rocket didn’t work as a VFX creation, then nothing else in this instalment (where he’s driving pretty much all the action) would either. Thankfully, the time-lapse transition between a terrified caged raccoon and Rocket’s older, cynically twitching nose that opens the film puts those doubts immediately to rest. Gunn’s empathy for all living things, but particularly those who have been mistreated, is what gives this story its power, and Bradley Cooper’s pitch-perfect vocal performance has the strength to make you feel all the feelings. Just as a raccoon crying over his lost tree friend made us shed tears in 2014, his relationship with his fellow abused creatures brings on the waterworks all over again here with some almost unbearably intense scenes in captivity. We don’t get to spend all that long with young Rocket’s animal experiment friends Lylla the otter (Linda Cardellini), Teefs the walrus (Asim Chaudhry) and Floor the rabbit (Mikaela Hoover), but we quickly grow to love them just as deeply he did.

This does have the feel of a victory lap, bringing everything full circle and giving everyone their time to shine. Everyone loves the literal-thinking lunk Drax (Dave Bautista) and towering tree-man Groot (Vin Diesel) but it is stoic cyborg Nebula (Karen Gillan) and eager-to-please empath Mantis (Pom Klementief), previously both pretty one-note, who end up being the undisputed highlights here. The former’s gruff and tough personality has gradually been eroded over her time with the Guardians, and the rare occasion when she lets down her guard and lets emotion overwhelm her really hits hard. The latter is the heart of the team, gets most of the funniest lines, and her unique power helps her and her friends out of a few tough spots in some unexpected ways.

Newcomers to this universe include Borat 2‘s Maria Bakalova as Cosmo the talking psychic cosmonaut dog who has an adorable film-long argument with space pirate Kraglin (Sean Gunn), Will Poulter as genetically engineered gold man-child Adam Warlock, and Chukwudi Iwuji as the High Evolutionary, arguably the most evil and irredeemable bastard in the galaxy who will mutilate, torture and thoughtlessly dispose of countless living things all in service of his delusional mission to create a “perfect society”.

The action is all very polished and exciting, and because this is the team’s last ride it all feels a lot more dangerous for our heroes somehow. A fight in a corridor in the final act might be the finest couple of minutes of action in the MCU to date – not only is it meticulously choreographed, ludicrously entertaining and set to a killer Beastie Boys track, but it lets the team work in violent harmony and gives every member of the team a chance to showcase their special abilities, each getting their own big character moment at the same time.

James Gunn has always happily leaned into the sillier visual and conceptual aspects of space opera, and rarely have such strange ideas been more convincingly brought to life as here. From a bio-formed space station seemingly made of meat to learning that the city of Knowhere (built inside the skull of a dead space god) can actually be driven to a new location, and even to a mirror image “Counter-Earth” populated by humanoids forcefully evolved from lower lifeforms, big swings are taken. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is an epic, galaxy-spanning quest, but all this imagination vitally remains in service of a very intimate story. 

A minor criticism that could be levelled at this particular Guardians iteration is that the soundtrack isn’t as memorable or pitch-perfect as in the previous two films, with John Murphy’s (Sunshine, The Suicide Squad) original score extensively incorporating choral singing provoking a stronger reaction than the vast majority of the needle-drops. Similarly, the final act of the film, after over two hours of putting every Guardian through one life-threatening incident after another, keeps piling on the jeopardy to an almost absurd degree even when it is already fit to burst.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 brings this unlikely team’s journey to an immensely satisfying and appropriately epic conclusion. It is spectacular to look at and really funny, but it is also easily one of the darkest stories in the Marvel universe and does not pull its punches to make its pretty explicit discussion of abuse and animal testing any more palatable. We may see some of these characters again down the road, but for now it’s a fond farewell to them all, especially the acerbic Racoon who just wanted to be loved.

Score: 21/24

Recommended for you: MCU Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies Ranked

Knock at the Cabin (2023)
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Screenwriters: M. Night Shyamalan, Steve Desmond, Michael Sherman
Starring: Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Kristen Cui, Rupert Grint, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Abby Quinn

M. Night Shyamalan has a chequered past of films with mixed reviews. From imposter grandparents to a village terrorized by cloaked figures, the writer/director has shown a penchant for campy plotlines and stilted dialogue. For some, these fantasy lands are too extreme – too silly, too topical, too much – but for others they are an (sometimes whimsical) escape into the human psyche. There’s an art to Shyamalan’s madness, though; his often ridiculous premises are pursued with such an earnestness that they’re difficult to hate. 

Knock at the Cabin is no different. Starring Marvel regular Dave Bautista and Broadway superstar (and ‘Glee’ alum) Jonathan Groff, the film is a bona fide crowd-pleaser sprinkled with convoluted political messages. Though the themes occasionally get lost, the film is an enjoyable watch that seeks to unlock a larger truth. 

We open on a young girl, Wen (Kristen Cui), catching grasshoppers outside her family’s idyllic cabin rental in the woods. She is interrupted when a gentle but intimidating man named Leonard (Dave Bautista) approaches her. Soon, Wen and her fathers find themselves at the mercy of four weapon-clad strangers who force the family to make a human sacrifice or unleash the apocalypse upon all of humanity. 

Despite some corny dialogue, there is no question that Shyamalan is a master of holding tension. He is a seasoned filmmaker who has a good idea of what his strengths and weaknesses are, and that is evident here: the directing is solid and the film’s promised acts of brutality are chaotic and exhilarating at the same time. What’s more is that ever since the instant classic The Sixth Sense, the writer-director has been Hollywood’s King of the Plot Twist. Even when we think we have our bearings in one of his films, there’s always something lurking around the corner. Knock at the Cabin is more tame than most of the films in his filmography, but Shyamalan maintains a level of mystery that ensures this latest release is just as much of a joy to watch. 

Jonathan Groff as Eric and Ben Aldridge as Andrew make a believable couple around whom Shyamalan focuses his philosophical undertaking. We see occasional flashbacks to their lives pre-disaster and understand that the two have been tested by violence and prejudice in the past. Their motivations are clear and we empathize with their insistence upon putting their family before almost anything else. Further powered by an energetic performance by actress Kristen Cui, who plays an intelligent and witty Wen, the central family unit is a strong and likable one. 

Though Shyamalan’s dialogue is especially cheesy and comes across as strange at times, actor Dave Bautista is able to round out a strong performance with a mix of strength and devastating sweetness. He meshes well with the rest of the cast and helms the apocalyptic charge against the family of three. Unfortunately, Rupert Grint (who portrays a bigoted Bostonian man named Redmond) is not given the same opportunity to flourish. Many Millennials and Harry Potter fans were excited by Grint’s return to the screen, but this particular experience certainly lacks the substance for anyone craving that particular hit of nostalgia.

Knock at the Cabin is a cheeky look at a sinister question about human existence and identity. It asks a simple question with a seemingly impossible answer: how far would you go to save your family? Though it is certainly more campy than deeply philosophical, Knock at the Cabin is worth a trip to the theater. If there’s anyone you should trust with a star-studded romp through apocalyptic wastelands, it’s M. Night Shyamalan, the man who brought us the beach that makes you old. 

Score: 16/24

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
Director: Rian Johnson
Screenwriter: Rian Johnson
Starring: Daniel Craig, Dave Bautista, Edward Norton, Jessica Henwick, Kathryn Hahn, Kate Hudson, Janelle Monáe, Leslie Odom Jr

Rian Johnson’s Knives Out was quite the sensation when it premiered in 2019. It was a fresh take on the whodunnit, proving there’s life in the genre yet (since furthered with the releases of See How They Run and ‘Only Murders in the Building’). We dug our teeth into the ingenious mystery of the death of Novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) after his 85th birthday, and the film introduced us to a new sleuth in the shape of Daniel Craig’s southern musical-loving Benoit Blanc, with the then-Bond playing wonderfully against type. Boasting an all-star cast, Knives Out was such a kaleidoscopic success that many may have been dubious regarding the chances of successful sequels, especially given the $400million cost to Netflix. Thanks to even more laughs than before, we needn’t have worried.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery sees Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) travelling to the private island of an eccentric millionaire in the middle of the Mediterranean. As with the first film, the cast is both eclectic and star-studded; here we have Dave Bautista as a youtuber, Kate Hudson as a supermodel and fashion designer, and Leslie Odom Jr as a genius scientist. Also along for the ride are Kathryn Hahn’s Claire Debella, the Governor of Connecticut, and Janelle Monáe as Cassandra “Andi” Brand, a tech entrepreneur. Rounding out the main cast is Edward Norton as Miles Bron, whose island much of the action takes place on. In addition, there are a wealth of exciting cameos…

The shift in setting helps differentiate Glass Onion from the more autumnal first film, ensuring a brighter and more sun-drenched offering. The island setting can’t help but draw comparisons to some of Agatha Christie’s best loved works and their adaptations, specifically “Evil Under the Sun”, although at times the film feels like it is drawing on elements of “And Then There Were None”.

Cleverly not wanting to succumb to sequel curses, Glass Onion feels bigger and bolder than its predecessor. While the first film poked fun at elements of racism and the alt right, this film feels like its aim is placed more on tech billionaires and the upper middle class with some unsubtle comparisons to real-life figures – it wouldn’t be much of a stretch to see Sarah Palin in Claire, while Miles could easily be a counterpart to Elon Musk or Steve Jobs. While some of its criticism is more on the nose, for the most part it hits the mark and is a wildly entertaining time.

As with the first film, Rian Johnson shows a penchant for needle drops with an eclectic soundtrack including the Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody”, The Beatles’ “Glass Onion” (which lends the film its title), Nat King Cole’s “Mona Lisa”, and several tracks from David Bowie.

Many of the cast are playing against type and clearly relishing the opportunity. Daniel Craig is afforded more of a central role here, with the lack of a clear replacement for Ana De Armas’ Marta Cabrera guaranteeing that we get to see more of Benoit’s sleuthing skills. Johnson is able to develop the character with Craig once again committing to absurdist dialogue and physical comedy. Kate Hudson is a standout as the scene-stealing Birdy, lighting the screen up every time she appears, while Janelle Monáe anchors much of the film’s narrative as the mysterious Andi whose relationship with the group is seemingly strained as we unpick what occurred. Monáe once again expresses the depth of her screen presence glimpsed in Moonlight and Hidden Figures.

If lacking in the surprise factor of Knives Out, Glass Onion is a riotous time, dialling up the laughs and mystery with cameos and surprises galore, and layers of clever dialogue and writing. It is a different beast than the first film but nonetheless impressive, with Johnson showing his love for the genre and the greats in crafting a fine mystery film all of his own. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery will be sure to please fans of the first film and murder mysteries more widely, whetting appetites for the announced third instalment that is still to come.

Score: 20/24

One of the most popular franchises within the Marvel Cinematic Universe has long been Guardians of the Galaxy. Helmed by James Gunn, these operatic space adventures have been box office hits (totalling over $1.6billion worldwide) and fan favourites (an average of 89.5% on RottenTomatoes). Now however, the director is suggesting that this ragtag group’s third outing will be their last.

Speaking on Deadline’s Hero Nation podcast, Gunn stated:

“This is the end for us, the last time people will see this team of Guardians.”

While this doesn’t rule out future Guardians film, it does heavily imply that the team audiences are familiar with will likely come to an end.

“I want to give people the wrap up that they deserve for this story,” Gunn added, having directed and written the first two instalments in 2014 and 2017.

No story elements are currently known, but Gunn assures that the film will be a grand finale.

“It’s big; it’s so, so big and dark, and different from what people might be expecting it to be.”

The story will likely see the team deal with the consequences of Avengers: Endgame, which resurrected original member Gamora. Will Poulter (Midsommar; The Revenant) joins the cast as Adam Warlock, an artificial being created to destroy the Guardians.

Dave Bautista (Blade Runner 2049), who stars as Drax the Destroyer, has also opened up about the third film being the finale. Speaking to Marvel-centric podcast, Phase Zero, he says: “It’s our third film, we’re gonna wrap it up. And it’s been a hell of a journey with a few bumps. So, I’m looking forward to this, man. My cast and obviously the director, James Gunn, they’re like family to me.”

The Guardians films brought a lot of attention to Bautista from non-wrestling fans, and Drax allowed him to explore his comedic side as an actor. He adds, “This is kind of where my journey started. It’s come full circle and I’m looking forward to wrapping it up. And it’s bittersweet. I mean, I’ve been doing Guardians since 2013. When this comes out, it’ll be in 2023, so that’s a 10-year journey. All things must end. “I’m looking forward to kind of wrapping this up with my friends and family.”

Meanwhile in 2021 James Gunn directed The Suicide Squad for rival studio Warner Bros., based on characters from the DC universe. A spinoff series, following John Cena‘s character Peacemaker has recently began airing on HBO Max, created by Gunn. Warner Bros. executive Walter Hamada has confirmed that Gunn will return to DC for future projects.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is schedule to release on 5th May 2023, but fans can see the beloved team even earlier with this year’s ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’, set to debut on Disney+ in December.

Stuber (2019)
Director: Michael Dowse
Screenwriter: Tripper Clancy
Starring: Dave Bautista, Kumail Nanjiani, Mira Sorvino, Natalie Morales, Jimmy Tatro, Betty Gilpin, Karen Gillan

Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick) star as a cop and his uber driver in 2019 action comedy Stuber, a new take on the buddy cop genre from It’s All Gone Pete Tong and What If director Michael Dowse which takes inspiration from Lethal Weapon and The Nice Guys to deliver an enjoyable but far from groundbreaking funny actioner that will come and go about as quick as an Uber driver’s illusive 5-star rating.

Taking advantage of Bautista’s and Nanjiani’s recent rises to prominence, Stuber combines the comedy chops of the two vastly different performers to offer the genre’s most prized possession: believable opposites in the roles of Good Cop and Bad Cop – the twist to the formula here being that Nanjiani isn’t actually a cop at all, but an uber driver. It’s hardly the genre deconstruction offered in The Nice Guys, but it is if nothing else a loving embrace of the tropes Shane Black’s 2016 release so gleefully unraveled.

Following a shaky opening that sees Bautista land in Nanjiani’s Uber because of short term blindness caused by laser eye surgery – which acts as just one example of the screenplay’s lack of imagination – Stuber grows into its own as a serviceable if unremarkable 90 minutes of throwaway fun, the kind of film that would be a good choice for a watch-along.

Some of the jokes miss, but a lot of them hit, and some hit quite spectacularly, while most of the action is weaved into servicing character, narrative or laughs in a way that ensures the picture stays largely entertaining throughout.

If you’ve seen a buddy cop movie before, you’ll recognise the formula. One cop loves the job and will stop at nothing to see justice served, the other just wants to get home to eat dinner, see his wife or, in this case, have sex with his best friend (Betty Gilpin). It’s hardly “I’m too old for this” Lethal Weapon, but it’ll do, especially when Bautista and Nanjiani deliver everything with such a tangible chemistry.

Perhaps most significantly, Stuber’s delivery of the typical buddy cop elements of Lethal Weapon and The Nice Guys does lend itself to critical engagement of the genre’s historical prejudices and representations of masculinity, the largest difference between the two leads here not being their professions or their appearances but instead their versions of masculinity: Bautista being compared to Steven Seagal by Nanjiani in the film as the aggressive muscle bound hero typical of an 80s action flick, and Nanjiani being the more modern, self-reflective, smaller and more socially conscious star of modern times, Bautista grunting at him to “man up”. As you could expect from any such tension, lessons are learned on both sides, the modern hero adapting to a more aggressive historical approach and the classic hero becoming more open with his feelings, his trust and his ability to use a smart phone. It’s not a lot, but it’s enough to warrant time served, a glimpse into the potential of the idea at its heart.

While Stuber isn’t going to be the first name on everyone’s lips, nor one to stick in the memory for a prolonged period of time, it is a genuinely entertaining piece of cinema that ought to bring a few smiles to faces. If not for the buddy cop formula (which remains a trustworthy source of light-heartedness despite its limited number of appearances over recent years), then Bautista and Nanjiani ought to do the trick, the moments of genuine belly laughter being the icing on the cake.

Stuber isn’t in the same league as recent buddy cop movies The Nice Guys and 21 Jump Street but it offers enough to look beyond its obvious product placement and most unimaginative elements to bring it home leaps beyond the likes of Chips and Let’s Be Cops.

10/24

Often, the most famous and popular stars of the world’s premiere wrestling organisation WWE – whether they be The Miz, Randy Orton, Big Show or Triple H – take movie roles in their employer’s own straight-to-DVD B-movie action shooters, gaining much needed material for their portfolios but rarely getting the chance to break out into something more dramatic and/or comedic; their lives as movie stars therefore dictated by their wrestling personas, making a transition away from wrestling and into Hollywood an even greater task. 

However, there are wrestlers who take a leap of faith into an acting career and make it work; and of those who have, some have been involved in the most iconic films of their generation or have at least made themselves a memorable presence in a film or two. These actors, who’ve somehow broken into acting against the odds (and historical precedence), are the focus of this Movie List from The Film Magazine: the 10 Best Wrestlers Turned Actors.

Follow @thefilmagazine on Twitter.

10. Adam “Edge” Copeland

Edge was always a good looking hunk of a man, so it wasn’t a surprise to see him transition into the world of acting once his wrestling career was sadly cut short.

In the interim of his career hiatus (caused by a severe neck injury), Edge became a regular on the TV shows ‘Haven’ and ‘Vikings’, and has even appeared in the DC TV adaptation ‘The Flash’.

He has that tall, blonde, attractive star vibe going for him, so it’s easy to see why they lumped him in old fashioned Scandinavian clothing and threw him on the set of ‘Vikings’ in particular, but his forray into TV remains impressive nonetheless. Unlike most other wrestlers – including the majority still to come on this list – Edge can say he’s been in some of the most popular TV shows in modern times, and while that doesn’t quite equate to a breakthrough film career, it is impressive nonetheless. 

9. Kevin Nash

Kevin Nash is a former professional wrestler who, at the age of 53, earned a supporting role in Magic Mike. Now there’s proof of an impressive physique! 

He was pretty good in it too. 

Come to think of it, he has been pretty good in everything he’s been in… even a random ‘Sabrina the Teenage Witch’ episode when he hopped out of a closet and got lambasted by the ever-sarcastic Salem (who was a cat, for those unfamiliar). 

As well as the odd notable role, he’s also had countless background roles in major films like John Wick, Rock of Ages and The Longest Yard, making a decent career for himself as a lower tier film and television actor in the wake of his in-ring retirement.

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Screenwriters: Hampton Fancher, Michael Green
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Jared Leto, Sylvia Hoeks, Ana De Armas, Dave Bautista, Robin Wright, Mackenzie Davis

“A beautiful, rich and immersive sequel that bucks the typical Hollywood trends”

It has been generally agreed upon by casual fans to the most acclaimed critics that Blade Runner 2049 is one of the best films of the decade; both on a technical and emotional level. The combination of stunning cinematography and intricate direction work seamlessly to elevate the grounded and nuanced performances of lead actors Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford, and puts this film on a pedestal of must-see big screen experiences. It is a simply marvellous blend of technical skill and emotional resonance that deserves all of the topping of end-of-decade lists that it is bound to receive.

The film is written by Blade Runner’s original writer Hampton Fletcher as well as Logan’s Michael Green who have created a poignant and thought-provoking narrative that wonderfully bucks the industry trend of prioritising action over anything else. The story relishes in the source material’s deep questions surrounding the blur between humanity and machinery, providing both answers and new questions that will leave audiences begging for more. The writers also allow a refreshing sense of ambiguity to flow through the narrative, causing the atmosphere of mystery to be joyously intensified and rendering audiences thrillingly uncertain of character motivations or the narrative’s direction.

The film is masterfully taken by the reins by the confident direction of Denis Villeneuve who is right at home with both the nuance that is found in his earlier films Arrival and Prisoners, as well as the thrilling brutality he presented in Sicario. Villeneuve commands the film with extraordinary grace; following the narrative to multiple gorgeous locations each with their own distinct visual flavour and style. It’s here that Villeneuve once again shines through his love for thematic colour palettes. From the blinding neon in the dirty streets of LA to the saturated orange of the radioactive ruins of San Diego, the film exudes atmosphere and audiences are just as immersed in this fully-realised world as they were in 1977’s Star Wars or 2001’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

The film’s visuals are only pushed to the highest level by the master of the camera Roger Deakins, who very deservedly won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for his work on this film. Deakins works seamlessly with Villeneuve and uses a plethora of wide and long shots to encourage the audience to soak up the dystopian surroundings as well as highlight the cognitive dissonance the audience feels when looking at this nightmare of a future. What is also worthy of note is the framing of the few (but intense) action sequences. They are all perfectly shot with all of the action being very easy to follow and the impact of each blow causing a feeling of recoil unseen in much of the modern landscape’s big budget offerings. This makes for a refreshing change from the abundance of shaky-cam shots and quick-cuts found in many modern blockbusters.

Speaking of modern blockbusters, the film continues to buck trends when it comes the acting. Ryan Gosling is able to fully embody his talent for subtlety, utilising slow physical movement and small outbursts of pure emotion; he is able to convincingly convey the inner struggle between android and human that the franchise is founded upon. His performance is only enhanced by the efforts of Harrison Ford who returns after a 35-year hiatus from his role as Rick Deckard. Ford is given a lot more room to work than he was in 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens and it shows. He effectively demonstrates the torture and pain Deckard has been put through and is able to utilise more pause and hesitation in his delivery, showing his own inner conflict regarding certain decisions.

If this is the type of sequel that the industry is moving towards then we should count ourselves lucky. Blade Runner 2049 is a shining example of a follow-up done right with everything that made the original so good – but better alongside creative and thought-provoking new additions. The film is simply an achievement, and everyone involved should be immensely proud.

24/24

Written by Harrison Thorne

You can support Harrison in the following places:

Blog: Home Brewed Reviews
Twitter: @brewed_home

As well as Guardians of the Galaxy, Gunn has directed Slither and Super. Image: Joel Ryan/Invision/AP.

Fired as the result of a public outcry against tweets the filmmaker claimed were poorly written jokes, the public perception of the case was quickly altered by the Guardians cast when they openly and publicly opposed his firing soon after the news broke, with Drax the Destroyer actor Dave Bautista being particularly vocal about his disdain for the decision, even going so far as to claim he wouldn’t return without the director at the helm.

Gunn, who developed the Guardians project from the very beginning and gave many of its cast their opportunity to become star names, had made multiple comments via Twitter eluding to child abuse and child sexual abuse, with further investigation unearthing some distasteful pictures of the filmmaker attending a paedophile-themed party.

Disney’s firing of the director was met with a divisive reaction that saw many influential industry professionals join the Guardians of the Galaxy cast in supporting the filmmaker and the growing perception that his comments were a shameful attempt at being edgy. In the months following his removal from the project altogether, many have questioned Disney-Marvel’s decision to hire Gunn in the first place given how the tweets pre-date his hiring at the company, with the motives of those behind boosting the tweets into the public sphere also being questioned given their opposition to Gunn’s publicly left wing political leanings.

Over the course of the 8 months or so since his firing, Disney have moved to weaken their hard stance against Gunn, the company confirming before Christmas that the 3rd movie was to use his script. Gunn himself has hardly been quiet either, following several public apologies with a number of new projects including the forthcoming dark-superhero-horror Brightburn (on which he acts as a producer) and a role at Marvel’s rival comic book movie producers DC as the screenwriter, producer and (potentially) director of Suicide Squad 2.

This extraordinary turn of events, which will undoubtedly see Disney-Marvel be met with a backlash for operating in opposition to its usually adamantly family friendly business mantra, will put Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 back on track after production was reportedly halted in the aftermath of the director’s firing. The film was originally intended for a summer 2020 release.

In response to the news breaking, Gunn tweeted the following:

❤️ pic.twitter.com/gdMQjlqIjs

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) March 15, 2019

Gunn will now operate from a position of power and influence at two of Hollywood’s biggest studios, Disney and Warner Bros., with the filmmaker now being central to Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and DC’s Suicide Squad 2 as the lead creative force, while continuing to act as an executive producer on each Avengers movie that features characters he’s helped to develop on the big screen, including the upcoming Avengers: Endgame.

Content Warning: the tweets concerned reference abuse in various forms.

#WalkAway pic.twitter.com/cI8BdWxedu

— Jack Posobiec🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) July 20, 2018

The filmmaker, whose other credits include being the director of Slither (2006) and Super (2010) and screenwriter on the likes of Scooby Doo (2002), Dawn of the Dead (2004), The Belko Experiment (2016) and the upcoming ‘Starsky & Hutch’ TV reboot, was the lead creative mind behind Guardians of the Galaxy from the tone of the movies to the characterisations, casting and so on.

On the surface a vocal advocate for humanitarian efforts and animal welfare as well as having a reputation for being one of the more accessible hollywood filmmakers on Twitter, Gunn reportedly began to delete the disrespectful and distasteful tweets as early as Thursday 19th July 2018. Once revelations regarding his history had been made public, Gunn released the following statement to The Wrap.

“My words of nearly a decade ago were, at the time, totally failed and unfortunate efforts to be provocative. I have regretted them for many years since — not just because they were stupid, not at all funny, wildly insensitive, and certainly not provocative like I had hoped, but also because they don’t reflect the person I am today or have been for some time.

Regardless of how much time has passed, I understand and accept the business decisions taken today. Even these many years later, I take full responsibility for the way I conducted myself then. All I can do now, beyond offering my sincere and heartfelt regret, is to be the best human being I can be: accepting, understanding, committed to equality, and far more thoughtful about my public statements and my obligations to our public discourse. To everyone inside my industry and beyond, I again offer my deepest apologies. Love to all.”

The filmmaker followed his official statement with a series of tweets, which are as follows:

1. Many people who have followed my career know when I started, I viewed myself as a provocateur, making movies and telling jokes that were outrageous and taboo. As I have discussed publicly many times, as I’ve developed as a person, so has my work and my humor.

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 20, 2018

2. It’s not to say I’m better, but I am very, very different than I was a few years ago; today I try to root my work in love and connection and less in anger. My days saying something just because it’s shocking and trying to get a reaction are over.

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 20, 2018

3. In the past, I have apologized for humor of mine that hurt people. I truly felt sorry and meant every word of my apologies.

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 20, 2018

4. For the record, when I made these shocking jokes, I wasn’t living them out. I know this is a weird statement to make, and seems obvious, but, still, here I am, saying it.

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 20, 2018

5. Anyway, that’s the completely honest truth: I used to make a lot of offensive jokes. I don’t anymore. I don’t blame my past self for this, but I like myself more and feel like a more full human being and creator today. Love you to you all.

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 20, 2018

Having overseen the direction of many a burgeoning Hollywood career via his Marvel Studios franchise in the 4 years since the release of the first Guardians of the Galaxy film, and given the current atmosphere around Hollywood regarding highly influential creators and performers remaining in work despite claims of sexual abuse and assault, Gunn has received a lot of support from followers and fellow creatives via social media platforms, many of whom feel the sentence far outweighs the crime given the current climate.

Dave Bautista, the actor behind the character of Drax the Destroyer in Gunn’s comic book movie franchise, tweeted the following regarding the news that Gunn had been removed from his creative role as a result of the tweets:

I will have more to say but for right now all I will say is this..@JamesGunn is one of the most loving,caring,good natured people I have ever met. He’s gentle and kind and cares deeply for people and animals. He’s made mistakes. We all have. Im NOT ok with what’s happening to him

— Dave Bautista (@DaveBautista) July 21, 2018

It must be noted that Bautista is currently the only Guardians star to come out in support of Gunn since Disney revealed the news via a statement from Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn, which read:

“The offensive attitudes and statements discovered on James’ Twitter feed are indefensible and inconsistent with our studio’s values, and we have severed our business relationship with him.”

Details on where the Guardians franchise will head following this news has yet to be revealed and no statement has been made regarding the future of Gunn’s involvement on the ‘Starsky & Hutch’ TV show.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Screenwriters: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
Starring: Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Josh Brolin, Chris Pratt, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Chadwick Boseman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Holland, Elizabeth Olsen, Karen Gillan, Carrie Coon, Pom Klementieff, Sebastian Stan, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Benedict Cumberbatch, Idris Elba, Letitia Wright, Vin Diesel, Danai Gurira, Paul Bettany, Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Mackie, Benedict Wong

Unforeseen and unprecedented, Avengers: Infinity War delivers a conclusion of a lifetime that you’re going to want to see on the big screen and ahead of someone spoiling things for you. May you never have concerns about Marvel’s lack of conviction again…

10 years and 18 movies in the making, Infinity War was asked to juggle the massive expectations of its audience as well as the need for each of its franchise leading characters to be served appropriately. And, through some of the Russo Brothers’ now trademarked story-centred action, a premise that demanded attention and stakes, and a strong effort to invest in the arc of the villain, this full stop on the first 10 years of the MCU has managed to do just that. This is more than a superhero movie, it’s a defining moment in modern cinema.

The most pressing positive from the film comes from the brains at Marvel Studios – headed by studio head Kevin Feige – whom seem to have listened to concerns regarding the quality of the universe’s villains and made rectifying that issue their first port of call regarding Thanos in Infinity War, ensuring that the character’s desires were not left without explanation; that we were given the correct amount of insight into the tyrannical titan’s motivations, as well as his – for lack of a better term – humanity. In the space of a few hours, the most important of peripheral MCU figures became directly important to the story of the film and the future of the franchise, spearheading the direction of the conflict not as “generic ‘unwelcomed other’ number 4” but as a genuinely believable monstrous being with all the bells and whistles needed to make him a credible threat – on a scale of Malekith in Thor: The Dark World to The Dark Knight’s Joker, Thanos was a lot closer to The Joker.

That’s not to say that Thanos encompassed the entire film in the same way that The Joker did however, as the directors and their writing team did an incredible job in ensuring that each of the heroes was given their moment to shine too, with the franchise’s most prominent figures each finding room to manoeuvre in a cast of characters larger than arguably any in history. Thor, Hulk, Iron Man, Starlord and Captain America were each given important direction and a lot of screen time through which to fulfil their tasks, and their interactions with secondary characters made for moment after moment of fan service that reached levels so high that Infinity War is almost untouchable in such a regard. This hectic and all-encompassing presentation did make performances harder to judge, and it’s fair to assume that there won’t be a single Infinity War cast member being nominated for their role in the movie at next year’s Oscars, but that’s not to deny the gravitas of Robert Downey Jr, Chris Pratt and Chris Evans in particular, each of whom offered tidbits of how special each of them are at important moments in the film; with Josh Brolin’s Thanos performance also being notable in its own right despite being so heavily masked by CGI.

Questions will also be raised about the quality of Infinity War to viewers unfamiliar with the franchise’s predecessors as the movie clearly placed a lot of its content against the backdrop of an expected familiarity between those watching the film and the characters within it. And sure, to a person fresh to the universe, Infinity War is hardly the film it would be to a person who’s a fan of the MCU, a reader of the comics or even a film goer who’s seen the vast majority of other Marvel movies, but to judge the 19th instalment of a universe with such traditional film criticism credentials would be to misunderstand the very nature of this once in a lifetime beast. Infinity War isn’t a film that 99.9% of people will begin their Marvel Cinematic Universe journey with, and though they’ll need a lot of catching up if they do choose to go down that route, the film’s lack of exposition and direct-to-action approach is actually to the movie’s benefit, keeping the run-time as low as it can be, the action and excitement high, and the story at the forefront of everything on the screen.

It’s in the story that Infinity War, and particularly the work of the Russo Brothers, comes to bare fruit, because for a film with so many must-see names, characters and moments, set across planets in different galaxies, everything somehow miraculously not only fits together, but also makes sense. The film’s narrative through-line is so strong that Iron Man can be fighting in one place while Star Lord fights in another, and at no point does it seem unnatural to be with one character as opposed to someone else, and while the film is filled to the brim with action set pieces and beautifully put together CG, the Russo Brothers ensure they never lose touch of the main arc of the film in what can only be described as a spectacular feat in direction – one that is complimented by every other aspect of post-production.

In short, this superhero-war-action movie is a moment in time that you shall never forget. This is a film so entwined with the history of a genre its own predecessors have come to define that it cannot be overlooked as anything other than a year defining, decade defining, genre defining all-time classic that belongs in the same echelon as The Dark Knight and The Empire Strikes Back in terms of quality blockbuster material. If you get the chance to see this on the big screen, do it. This is an event invitation you’re not going to want to pass up on; the near perfect comic book movie.

22/24

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