While DC's latest film — The Suicide Squad — is an ensemble film boasting star power such as Margot Robbie, John Cena, and Idris Elba, the biggest star of the remake is surprisingly its director.
James Gunn turned the MCU upside down when he directed Guardians of the Galaxy using his comic aesthetic, irreverent tone, and powerful storytelling coupled with a killer soundtrack. In a sense, that style has become his brand; and ahead of The Suicide Squad's debut, critic reviews indicate that brand works for DC as well as Marvel Studios.
Even though his DC remake is mere days away from releasing in theaters and on HBO Max, Gunn isn't slowing down anytime soon. In addition to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, a Guardians Holiday Special, and his upcoming Peacemaker series, new reports suggest that DC and the director have even "more stuff planned."
Speaking of plans, while doing promotion for The Suicide Squad, Gunn discussed his plan for an additional Marvel project that he's had for years.
JAMES GUNN INTERESTED IN A RAVAGERS DISNEY+ SERIES
When asked by the Happy Sad Confused podcast about the potential for a Guardians of the Galaxy Disney+ series, Gunn admitted he's been interested in making "a Ravagers show" since filming the original Guardians of the Galaxy.
"The one that I always... I always thought The Ravagers would be a great show... Whether that was with Sly Stallone's Ravagers or even more in-depth with just the pirates and what they were doing. I told Kevin Feige that when he first visited set when we were on the Ravagers ship for Guardians 1, I said we should make a Ravagers show. He said if this movie's a hit you can do whatever you want. Still no Ravagers show, so I don't know what happened."
In simple terms, the Ravagers are cosmic pirates with their own hierarchy, organization, and code. Yondu, played by Michael Rooker, was a Ravager in the Guardians films, as is Sylvester Stallone's Stakar Ogord and Sean Gunn's Kraglin.
However, according to Gunn, fans probably won't be hearing an announcement about a Ravagers series anytime soon.
Due to his packed schedule and focus on Peacemaker, a spin-off series of The Suicide Squad for HBO Max, the director admitted, "...the truth is I'm awful busy. I want to do a Peacemaker Season 2 so that's the only thing I'm committed to if it happens right now."
GUNN GOES TO STREAMING?
Even though 2021 has been packed with one Marvel series after another on Disney+, series-based storytelling from the MCU is still in its infancy. However, it's fascinating to know that Gunn saw the value in Marvel exploring the episodic format, expressing interest in doing so as early as 2014 and long before Disney+ existed.
With Peacemaker slated for a January 2022 release on HBO Max, it will be interesting to see how the director's style translates into a TV series and whether that's something he wants to continue to pursue with his other characters and films after the show's second season.
After all, television isn't what it used to be; and while audiences are exploring how they best want to consume content, studios and creators are finding how to best deliver that content in a way that best serves their stories.
The Suicide Squad debuts in theaters and on HBO Max August 6, 2021.
