James Gunn Revealed He's Not Keen On Directing A 'Star Wars' Franchise

James Gunn has become well-known as a director for producing movies that are a little more unorthodox or contain characters and themes foreign to popular viewers. The screenwriter and filmmaker frequently employs his affinity for comic book imagery as well as a good dose of slapstick humor in these genres of films that have not only catapulted him into the spotlight but also earned him critical acclaim.

From 2000 until 2022, Gunn oversaw several Marvel projects, including the "Guardians of the Galaxy" trilogy, the final two "Avengers" sequels, and various independent films like "Slither" "The Belko Experiment," and "Movie 43."

While Gunn's career does not compare to that of other veteran filmmakers, some fans believe the 55-year-old should try his hand at the legendary "Star Wars" franchise, to which Gunn has stated that he is not interested in at the moment.

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Following a tweet praising the "Guardians of the Galaxy" Holiday Special, Gunn stated that he was looking forward to seeing additional cuts from the film's editor every weekend. One fan then took it upon himself to urge the filmmaker to spearhead a "Star Wars" trilogy, something many fans of the franchise may have been interested in.

In response to the request, Gunn claimed that he is not interested in joining the franchise, noting that he has had his fill of space flicks for the time being.

"I'm finishing a Guardians trilogy. That's enough space opera for me at this moment," the director said.

Other fans in the comment section also indicated that they would be very much interested in seeing the director bring his talents into the "Star Wars" franchise, given his stellar work on "Guardians of the Galaxy." However, Gunn gave no further response to the appeal.

Before his previous Tweet, Gunn first discounted the possibility of directing any upcoming "Star Wars" movies during an Instagram Q&A two years ago. The director stated at the time that he was not interested in working on the project or joining any new franchise because none of them caught his interest as a filmmaker.

"No, it doesn't really interest me as a filmmaker. I can't think of any franchises I'd want to join other than the ones I'm already part of," he said.

In 2019, Gunn also stated that he had no interest in directing an episode of "The Mandalorian," a popular show with a similar concept to "Star Wars." He mentioned this on another Instagram Q&A, replying to a request to consider making a directing cameo on the series. Gunn said, "It doesn't really interest me, no."

Gunn's unwillingness to work on a "Star Wars" production anytime soon may come as a surprise to fans, given that the director is a huge lover of the franchise.

He once told his fans that the Knights of the Old Republic sub-series is his favorite part of the "Star Wars" canon, displaying a depth of understanding of the franchise that could only have come from a fan.

With this in mind, one would think that if the chance arose, the filmmaker would seize it and fulfill every fan's goal of guiding one of the most successful multibillion-dollar film franchises. However, because his current work with Marvel possesses so much similarity with "Star Wars," it's simpler to see why the director doesn't feel compelled to join the hallowed list of filmmakers who have contributed to the iconic franchise.

While Gunn's abilities may not be shown in any next "Star Wars" picture, they will undoubtedly be seen in the final installment of the "Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy," which is presently in the works.

The original ensemble of Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, and Vin Diesel will reprise their roles in the picture. At the same time, Will Poulter, Sylvester Stallone, and Chukwudi Iwuji are new additions to the cast. Unfortunately, the film will not be released this year but will instead come on May 23, 2023.

In the meantime, fans may look forward to The "Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special," which is set to be released around the holidays in 2022.