Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 star Sean Gunn reveals how important Guardians of the Galaxy was for his brother, James Gunn, in his journey as a filmmaker. Although Gunn had been making a name for himself as a writer and director with projects like Slither, Super, Scooby-Doo, and Dawn of the Dead, Guardians of the Galaxy catapulted him into a household name. Gunn was able to pinpoint his unique storytelling style with Guardians of the Galaxy and has continued to evolve within the superhero genre.

In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Gunn reflected on his brother's journey as a filmmaker with the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy. He explained how important the first Guardians of the Galaxy was for James Gunn to find his unique style as a director. He also reminisced about how his brother seemed more comfortable on the Guardians of the Galaxy set, even though it was a bigger production than he'd ever directed before. Check out Gunn's full quote below:

Sean Gunn: Guardians helped James, as a creator, stop circling around the bullseye and really find it. It's almost like Guardians was the key that unlocked the door that now is open to all sorts of different things. I think there's so much more to explore. There's so many more stories to tell and all that, but it's always going to be the thing that really got there first in a way.

But it was really awesome for me to go into even the first movie and think, "Oh, this is such a bigger project. Maybe it'll be that much harder for James." And for some reason, I don't know what it is about him, but it seemed easier. It seemed like it was more him; it was more his style. He was more comfortable on set and continues to do that, which is pretty awesome. It's a good way to tackle things.

How James Gunn's Directing Style Has Evolved Since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1

Guardians of the Galaxy managed to bring out Gunn's strengths as he focused on lesser-known characters, infusing humanity and humor into their storylines. The movie crossed genres as a space opera with high stakes, whip-smart comedy, and heartbreaking moments of tragedy. Gunn continues to tap into these strengths throughout the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy while continuing to explore and evolve.

Related: Casting MCU's Guardians Of The Galaxy In James Gunn's DC Universe

Gunn has also brought this recognizable style to DC with The Suicide Squad, which introduced a ton of minor characters that the audience unexpectedly fell in love with. In The Suicide Squad, Gunn was able to play in the R rating with more violence, gore, and profanity. He found the perfect balance of new character introductions while finding the heart of DC fan favorite Harley Quinn, played by Margot Robbie. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 closes out his original trilogy and time at Marvel as he takes the reins of DC Studios, running it with partner Peter Safran.

Gunn has proven he can bring unpopular characters into the audience's hearts with fun, comedic, tragic, and action-heavy stories in both the DC and Marvel universes. With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Gunn shows an impressive ability to continue overarching storylines for characters while collaborating with other filmmakers. Guardians of the Galaxy has been touted as the strongest trilogy of the MCU, and his DC line-up has been praised as a mix of tentpole characters like Superman and Batman as well as his classic lesser-known heroes, including Creature Commando and The Authority. Guardians of the Galaxy was the key to unlocking Gunn's potential, and he has grown to be one of the most prolific writers and directors in the superhero space.