The Infinity Stones weren't part of Marvel Studios' original MCU plans, director James Gunn says. Joining the franchise in 2014 via the original Guardians of the Galaxy film, the filmmaker went on to be an integral part of the universe's expansion to the cosmos. Despite Gunn's brief firing, he was brought back eventually to the MCU to helm Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which means he has been involved with it for almost a decade now.

Given his long history with the MCU, Gunn saw how Marvel Studios developed the Infinity Saga from the beginning of Phase 2 until it culminated in Joe and Anthony Russo's Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Throughout that time, Kevin Feige and his team more actively set up Thanos' arrival and his epic fight against the Avengers. As in the Marvel Comics, the Infinity Stones played an important part in the Infinity Saga's narrative, with the Infinity Gauntlet's first sighting dating all the way back to the first Thor film.

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But, as it turns out, the elemental gems weren't even part of the franchise's original plan. Gunn has previously said that he had his full Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy mapped out in his head while working on the first one, and one fan asked if that meant he knew Marvel's plan for Infinity War and Endgame. In response, he reveals that not only did he not know, but Feige & Co. didn't decide to incorporate the Infinity Stones until after he had finished his first draft of Guardians of the Galaxy. Read Gunn's full story below:

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As Gunn revealed during Marvel Studios' San Diego Comic-Con 2022 panel, where the first Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 footage debuted, it has been 10 years since he first pitched to Feige and Louis D'Esposito. This means that, in 2012, there were still no plans to use the Infinity Stones as the Infinity Saga's MacGuffins. This is an interesting reveal, considering that the MCU is known for planning years ahead. Aside from that, Thanos also made his first appearance in The Avengers, which was released the same year. If Marvel Studios weren't yet sure about utilizing the powerful gems, it would be interesting to learn what their original plan for the Mad Titan was.

This proves how Marvel Studios can be flexible with regard to their approach to the MCU. Despite always seemingly having a long-term plan, filmmakers and collaborators have consistently said they tend to focus on one project at a time. Admittedly, there were instances where the studio went totally overboard with setting up the future, as with Iron Man 2 and Avengers: Age of Ultron, but filmmakers ultimately find a way to justify those with future projects when the opportunity arises. This is what actually makes them really great in handling long-gestating narratives, as they tend to always find ways to get projects connected.

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Source: James Gunn/Twitter