While it would be unfair to say Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige plucked filmmaker James Gunn out of obscurity, he certainly gave the director his big break with 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy.
When some "controversial" Tweets shared by Gunn years before he started working for Disney resurfaced, the studio was forced to part ways with the director. The majority online argued that it was a massive overreaction on the House of Mouse's part, and after heading to the DCEU for The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, he was brought back into the fold for Vol. 3.
That stint he spent working for Warner Bros. has resulted in Gunn now being appointed one of the heads of DC Studios, and it feels like Marvel Studios will soon have some real competition...for the first time ever.
So, is Feige feeling the pressure?
Based on comments made during yesterday evening's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever world premiere, he couldn't be any happier for the filmmaker.
"Well, he has got a lot of work to do for Marvel between now and May, which he’s well aware of," Feige says in the video below. "But after that, I’ll be first in line to see anything he does."
Gunn starts his new job on November 1, but does have to finish Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and needs to promote both that and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special for Marvel Studios. We know Feige wants all comic book movies to succeed, so doubt there's any real competition or rivalry here, and he seems genuinely happy for Gunn.
If nothing else, we'd bet on this opening the door to a Marvel/DC crossover eventually becoming a reality...
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