James Gunn Bluntly Responds to Guardians 3 Criticism

By Aeron Mer Eclarinal Updated:
Guardians of the Galaxy 3 James Gunn

A comment from a fan led to a surprising NSFW response from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 director James Gunn.

Guardians 3 received widespread acclaim from fans and critics, with some even noting that it's one of Marvel Studios' best movies ever. Despite that, the MCU threequel still managed to receive the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score in the franchise with an 80% critic approval rating. 

However, the updated audience approval rating for Guardians 3 currently stands at 96%, but it looks like not everyone is happy about the team's swan song.

Guardians 3 Critique Addressed by James Gunn

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 Beastie Boys scene
Marvel

When a fan on Instagram asked Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 director James Gunn why he played it safe in the threequel, the filmmaker responded with an NSFW comment, saying, "You got to be fucking kidding me:"

James Gunn
Instagram

Gunn, as usual, has been very active on social media during Vol. 3's opening weekend, interacting with fans as they shared their personal thoughts to the sequel. The writer-director responded to Twitter user @Indiana_max's positive statement that the filmmaker "just punched a hole in the sun" with the threequel: 

@Indiana_max: "[Guardians 3] how the fuck does anybody follow that? [James Gunn] just punched a hole in the sun!"

Gunn: "Oh my gosh I guess that's a good thing?"

Moreover, when a fan pointed out that his MCU films "always have the best artwork marketing materials," Gunn noted that he always "fights for cool stuff" for fans: 

"Because I don't like the same-old same-old and fight for cool stuff for you guys."

Why Did James Gunn Give an NSFW Comment?

It's clear that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 director and now DC Studios head James Gunn has an immense passion for his ragtag team of misfits led by Chris Pratt's Peter Quill. That said, it's understandable that he responded with an NSFW comment to a fan's claim that he played it safe with the threequel. 

It's possible that the fan's comment could stem from the director's choices on who lives and dies in Guardians 3. However, it looks like Gunn clearly has had enough of those who don't understand his decisions in the threequel. 

Considering his love and passion for the franchise, every decision that he made for the characters in the movie is justified, setting up an exciting future for each one of them. 

Despite the criticism from some fans, Guardians 3 has been receiving consistently positive reviews, with some claiming it's the best MCU flick since Avengers: Endgame

Hopefully, the momentum continues in order to silence the negative reviews. 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is now playing in theaters worldwide.

- In This Article: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Release Date
May 05, 2023
Platform
Theaters
- About The Author: Aeron Mer Eclarinal
Aeron is a news/features writer and Content Lead for The Direct who has been working for the site since March 2020. From writing about the inter-connectivity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to having an extended knowledge about DC TV's Arrowverse, Aeron's expertise has since expanded into the realm of reality TV, K-drama, animated, and live-action shows from Netflix,  Disney+, Prime Video, MGM+, Peacock, Paramount+, and Max. When he isn't writing and watching all things MCU, Aeron is heavily invested with the NBA (go Celtics!) and occasionally watches thrilling matches in the WWE.