James Gunn has quickly become a popular name in the comic book movie genre thanks to his take on Guardians of the Galaxy. Even before the movie was released, he was announced to be returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the sequel, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Gunn started pre-production on the sequel immediately following the first film, and is currently spending a large amount of his time in the editing bay to cut together the final version.
Gunn's future with Marvel remains up in the air, as he has previously stated that he is unsure if he will return for a third Guardians of the Galaxy movie. It is certainly stressful to make one of Marvel's most anticipated movies, but it also comes with a heavy time commitment. While he is noncommittal to another big screen return, he seems open to the idea of moving to the small screen with Marvel.
In his latest Facebook live Q&A, Gunn was asked if he would ever consider making the move to the Marvel TV universe, more specifically the Netflix properties. The two companies have three series already on Netflix, with three more upcoming, and it turns out that Gunn would be open to directing an episode under the right circumstances:
If it was in the right circumstances, maybe, but it would never be one that was preexisting. It would have to be the pilot of a new show.
With him only being interested in a pilot for a new series, his involvement could not be included in any of the already announced Netflix series. Even though Iron Fist has not yet debuted, it has completed filming ahead of an early 2017 release date. The Punisher has already begun filming, so there is no chance for Gunn to get involved there either. The Defenders meanwhile just announced that S.J. Clarkson from Jessica Jones would be directing the pilot, which means that Gunn is unfortunately out of options for now.
Even if one of the previously mentioned shows were available, Gunn does not appear to have time available in his schedule to take a week or more off of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 to film an entire episode, let alone go through the pre-production process to understand where the series is heading. If Gunn does actually have time in his schedule to direct an episode, it would have to be later down the road, with a new property or spin-off within this universe.
Some of the most wanted and speculated series that could come to Netflix in the future that would qualify under Gunn's guidelines could be a Hellcat spin-off, a Moon Knight, Blade, or Ghost Rider series. It would be interesting to see what Gunn would bring to the Netflix universe, but his focus for now is on the cosmic corner of the MCU, not Hell's Kitchen. However, should Marvel and Netflix ever have interest in expanding their partnership outside of New York and do a series set in space, then maybe Gunn would get a call. He did recently state he wants to see a Nebula solo movie, but a Nebula series would be equally intriguing and make more sense for Gunn to be involved. For now, it does not appear as though Gunn will be joining the Marvel/Netflix universe anytime soon.
Daredevil seasons 1 and 2, Jessica Jones season 1, and Luke Cage season 1 are now available on Netflix. Iron Fist will premiere on March 17, 2017, with The Defenders expected later in the year. Premiere dates for the newest seasons of Jessica Jones, The Punisher, and Daredevil have not yet been announced.
Source: James Gunn Facebook
