When Avengers: Endgame ended with Thor hitching a ride aboard the Milano, many fans assumed they’d see the God of Thunder getting cozy with the Guardians of the Galaxy in their next adventure. However, when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (which you can stream with a Disney+ subscription) rolled into theaters, Thor was M.I.A. So, what gives? According to James Gunn, the answer is refreshingly honest and surprisingly personal.
In an exclusive interview with EW as part of their Superman cover story, Gunn explained that his decision to keep Thor out of Guardians Vol. 3 wasn’t about contracts, tone clashes, or franchise fatigue. It came down to one simple truth: he just didn’t connect with the character. He explained to the outlet:
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.
It’s rare to hear a director admit they’re not the right fit for a popular superhero movie character, especially one played by one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars. But the Super director has always marched to his own "cosmic" beat. His Guardians trilogy has never been about ticking boxes or following trends, making them some of the best Marvel movies. Instead, it’s centered on emotionally broken oddballs learning to become a family, and Vol. 3 stayed true to that mission without any thunderbolts or hammers in sight.
This wasn’t Gunn’s first time wrestling with the ripple effects of interconnected cinematic universes, either. In the same interview, he talked candidly about the complications of planting seeds in post-credit scenes that later become storytelling burdens. He pointed to the Adam Warlock tease at the end of Guardians Vol. 2 as a prime example. While he ultimately enjoyed working with the actor, integrating Will Poulter’s Adam Warlock into Vol. 3 wasn’t exactly seamless. The Slither screenwriter added:
I did not like what I did in Guardians 2, where we set up Adam Warlock and we set up the Guardians of the Galaxy and we set up all this s--- that I didn't necessarily plan on. Well, I guess I kind of planned on fulfilling that promise, but you want to be careful about that. The way a post-credits scene works is a punch to the face, like, 'Oh my God! Look at this.' At times when you're using it just solely to set something up, sometimes you're screwing yourself over. It was not easy to work Adam Warlock into Guardians 3. I loved working with Will, and I liked dealing with the character, but at the end of the day, was he kind of fitting a weird square peg into a round hole? A little bit, yeah.
The takeaway? Just because a crossover seems good in theory doesn’t mean it belongs in the story. Gunn’s refusal to shoehorn Thor into the narrative reflects a broader ethos that’s shaping his work at DC Studios and the slate of upcoming DC movies. His Superman will feature a post-credits scene, but only because it serves the story, not because it checks a franchise box.
James Gunn’s brand of storytelling may not have always followed the blueprint we expect upcoming Marvel movies to adhere to, but it was always rooted in intention. And that might be what makes his work stand out. Rather than riding the momentum of a viral team-up, he chose to stay focused on what Guardians Vol. 3 needed to say, and who it needed to say it through. And because of that, we got a great movie.
Now, I can't wait to see what he makes next, as the July 11 release of Superman is right around the corner on the 2025 movie schedule.
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