Guardians of the Galaxy writer/director James Gunn has revealed his favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe film outside of his own sci-fi action-comedy franchise. Gunn's series centers on Peter Quill and his extraterrestrial group of criminals-turned-heroes as they face off against threats to the galaxy at large, with the first film pitting them against the zealot and war criminal Ronan the Accuser and the sequel against Quill's father, the ancient Celestial Ego. The cast for the titular group includes Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Karen Gillan, and Pom Klementieff.

Both of Gunn's Guardians films have been major successes for Marvel Studios, grossing a combined $1.5 billion and scoring rave reviews from critics and audiences. A third installment officially entered development on the heels of Vol. 2's Tokyo theatrical release, but hit a speed bump the following year when Disney initially severed ties with Gunn after controversial tweets resurfaced. After a major wave of support from the cast, including Bautista's threats to quit should Gunn's script not be used, Disney reversed course, and Gunn was re-attached to write and direct the threequel after finishing work on Warner Bros.' The Suicide Squad.

Related: What Guardians Of The Galaxy 3's Logo Tells Us About The Movie

During a period of responding to fans on his Instagram on the way to a night shoot for HBO Max's Peacemaker, Gunn was asked what his favorite MCU movies are outside of the Guardians series. After jokingly throwing out Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, he revealed his favorite to be 2008's Iron Man. The Robert Downey Jr.-led blockbuster kicked off the MCU.

James Gunn's revelation of his favorite MCU movies outside of Guardians of the Galaxy.

Gunn's Guardians franchise has consistently been high on fans' rankings of the MCU, but his choice for the inaugural Marvel Studios title as the best of the series is also generally well-regarded. Even looking from a critical standpoint, Favreau's first Iron Man still is tied for the second-best-reviewed installment in the franchise with Avengers: Endgame while Black Panther maintains the No. 1 spot on Rotten Tomatoes. With fans still reeling over the loss of Downey Jr.'s billionaire inventor and unwilling to hear of anyone else taking on the mantle just yet, that first film continues to resonate with the ongoing legacy of the MCU.

For those who believe Gunn's films to be the best in the franchise, the wait for the return of Guardians of the Galaxy will finally feel more reasonable as Vol. 3's production is finally set to get underway later this year. Plus, with Gunn's recent comments teasing the scale and scope of the film, it'll certainly bring audiences running back to theaters when it comes out in 2023. For the time being, at least, viewers can get excited for Gunn's DC Extended Universe debut when The Suicide Squad hits theaters and HBO Max on August 6 and its spin-off series Peacemaker on the latter next January.

More: Every Upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe Movie

Source: James Gunn/Instagram

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