Thor 4: James Gunn Teases Ties To Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 While Praising Script

One of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's top selling points is its consistent crossovers.

With 23 films and one active show adding to its ever-expansive lore, the MCU sandbox has seen multiple directors get to play with some of their most marketable characters. While those crossovers are always a treat for fans, writing for specific heroes can get pretty territorial.

Luckily for the directors, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has been insistent on consistency. Ryan Coogler (Black Panther) was brought onto Avengers: Infinity War to advise the Russo Brothers on how to direct characters he introduced, like T'Challa and M'Baku, as well as what the vibe of Wakanda should look like. 

Even with no Avengers flicks on the current release slate, cross-consultation will still be prevalent in Phase 4.

JAMES GUNN ON THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER

James Gunn has major praise for the God of Thunder's latest adventure.

Responding to a fan on Twitter, the Guardians of the Galaxy director revealed he has not had much input on Thor: Love and Thunder, but he did chat with director Taika Waititi before the script was developed to assess where the Guardians are and where they will be going.

Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, and others are set to reprise their Guardians of the Galaxy roles in Thor's fourth flick.

Not much, & @TaikaWaititi is doing a great job - the script is amazing. We talked before he started writing it about where the characters are & where they're going & he read the script for Vol 3 & then I read his script & shared my thoughts.

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) February 5, 2021

 

A COSMIC CROSSOVER MADE IN HEAVEN

Not too much, not too little, but just the right amount.

The argument can be made that the Guardians are Gunn's characters, and in order to maintain that consistency, he should be consulted when it comes to writing them in projects that he's not directing. Regardless, Thor: Love and Thunder is Taika Waititi's movie. He has the creative freedom to take those heroes where he likes.

That said, the collaboration between the pair should reinforce fans' faith in the MCU to continue telling their epic stories with continuity. Gunn obviously has big plans for the Guardians in their third volume, but in order to ensure that story gets told the way he intended, Peter Quill and company need to end up where Gunn wants to start them. Communicating those plans with Waititi is how they get that perfect harmony, and considering “not much” involvement from Gunn was needed, it looks like Waititi's script lines up exactly with what the Guardians director has in mind for their threequel.

Beyond that, Gunn's stamp of approval on Thor 4's script is even more reason to buy into this star-studded project. As the innovator of the cosmic side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Gunn's word around these wild space flicks is gospel. An endorsement from the Guardians director immediately elevates Love and Thunder's stock.

All in all, it's amazing to continue to get Grade A quality films from Marvel Studios, and hearing stories like this only emphasizes how special this giant franchise is. The lengths Kevin Feige goes to ensure these billion-dollar flicks do justice for both the fans and the directors is nothing short of admirable.

Thor: Love and Thunder is currently filming, and due in theaters on February 11, 2022.