James Gunn is currently working on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 for Marvel Studios, but the writer/director isn't sure what his future holds in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the time since Guardians of the Galaxy debuted in 2014, James Gunn has become an increasingly important figure in the MCU, especially with the cosmic side of Marvel's storytelling. He became the figurehead of the Guardians franchise and was tasked with putting together the final chapter of the trilogy, but these plans were complicated when Disney infamously fired him over old tweets. Once James Gunn was welcomed back for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, he once again became heavily involved in the MCU's Phase 4 plans.

The director has spent the last several months filming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ahead of its planned May 2023 release date, but it is just one of four projects he's somewhat involved in. Gunn has confirmed he's consulted a bit on Thor: Love and Thunder since the Guardians team is appearing in that movie before the threequel. He is also responsible for directing The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special for Disney+. Gunn is also involved in the animated I Am Groot Disney+ series, too. Due to the popularity of these characters and the acclaim his MCU projects have received, it's natural to wonder what the MCU's future holds for him.

Related: Guardians Of The Galaxy 4 May Have An Even Bigger Problem Than Avengers 5

Although Gunn's time with the MCU is likely nowhere close to being complete, the questions about what else he could make beyond Guardians of the Galaxy movies remain. Since Gunn is incredibly active on social media, he's now addressed his future with the MCU. It started with the director responding to a fan on Twitter asking what Marvel character he'd want to use if he had free reign. Gunn's response brought some concerns that he was officially walking away from the MCU after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. However, he followed this up by saying that he's simply talking about where his mind is at right now and doesn't know what could happen tomorrow or in the next several years.

It isn't too surprising to see James Gunn address his MCU future in this manner. He's previously said that he doesn't have any plans for Guardians of the Galaxy 4 and repeatedly says the third film is the end of the current iteration of the team. As of 2021, Gunn still maintained that he didn't know what his future held, but he did admit that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was likely his last Marvel film. In that same interview, he mentioned that he enjoys some of the creativity and freedom from DC's multiverse, which allowed him to make The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker. However, Gunn clearly hasn't made up his mind one way or another about if he'll make more MCU movies or shows after Guardians of the Galaxy 3.

Although the interest in seeing Gunn stick around in the MCU is understandable, he'll have to step away at some point, and Guardians of the Galaxy 3 could be the right time. He has plenty of other projects in the works beyond Marvel - and DC for that matter. After all, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's 2023 release date means that he'll be part of the MCU for over a decade by then. Since he's said the movie also sets up the next 10-20 years of Marvel's cosmic stories, it's possible James Gunn is using the film to set up an exciting future for Marvel Studios that he can enjoy either as a fan or as a partner.

More: Why Guardians of the Galaxy 4 Should Still Happen (Even Without James Gunn)

Source: James Gunn