James Gunn says the story for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will not be changed if the Disney/FOX deal closes. Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have plenty of reasons to be excited for the future. The remaining movies in Phase 3 all offer some unique element, and there’s no overlooking the culmination of the MCU to this point in Avengers 4. They recently gained access to Spider-Man, but they may soon get a bigger list of possible characters. Disney agreed to buy FOX late last year, and while the deal is awaiting regulatory approval, such a deal would allow all major Marvel characters to be part of the same universe.


All of this is going down as the MCU looks to expand the reaches of their franchises. The likes of Spider-Man: Homecoming and Ant-Man went small, while Black Panther opens up a new corner of Earth to play with. Meanwhile, James Gunn has been breaking open the cosmos with Guardians of the Galaxy. The possibility of FOX’s Marvel characters being introduced is exciting and they could begin to be included in established franchises. But, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 won’t do that.


James Gunn responded to a series of fan questions recently on Twitter, and was asked by one fan in particular if the Disney/FOX deal will change his story for Vol. 3 – should it close. Gunn didn’t waste any time giving his response, simply saying “No.” Gunn is not one to lie to fans to retain surprises, so it looks like we can stop thinking about the possibilities of The Thing or Kitty Pryde joining the team.


https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/952351334904225792

Not utilizing any Fox related properties is a bit of a surprise considering how big of a fan Gunn is. This deal wouldn’t just give Gunn the chance to bring in Kitty Pryde or The Thing, but could even go beyond potential Guardians members to supporting characters, villains, or background alien races. Vol. 3 will be one of the first films out after Avengers 4, so what better place to start introducing the likes of Silver Surfer, Kang the Conquerer, or Annihilus as major cosmic presences. Unfortunately, that doesn’t appear to be the case.

Even though Gunn’s response should be believed, there could be some clever maneuvering in play. There is always the possibility – albeit a small one – that Gunn was well aware of these talks taking place, and he already crafted the story for Vol. 3 with access to FOX’s assets in mind. The likelihood of that being the case isn’t great, but it could allow for Gunn to stay true to his word, and still take advantage of Marvel Studios’ new toys.

Gunn has had a long plan in mind since the beginning, so his interest in sticking to his guns isn’t that surprising. He’s made it clear Vol. 3 will be the final iteration of this version of the Guardians, so why would he take the focus off of them at this point? Plus, Vol. 3 isn’t going to be the last time Gunn works with Marvel Studios. He’s currently helping craft the next 10-20 years of cosmic stories, so they can change those plans to bring in these other characters.