Can The MCU's Guardians Of The Galaxy Exist In Any Form Without James Gunn?

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The Guardians of the Galaxy series is perhaps the biggest surprise hit of the Marvel Cinematic Universe phenomenon. Only one filmmaker has managed to bring a pack of characters from relative obscurity to the highest levels of pop-culture appreciation, and that filmmaker is preparing to end his tenure with the project.

There may be no film director currently enjoying a bigger spotlight than James Gunn. Between his blockbuster series Peacemaker and his many hotly anticipated upcoming films, Gunn has gone from cult darling to certified hit-maker. The MCU was perhaps his introduction to the world of big-budget films, but after he's completed his trilogy, he's moving on.

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The Guardians of the Galaxy franchise is perhaps the most creator-driven aspect of the MCU. The Iron Man, or Thor, or Captain America corner of the empire each have multiple directors crafting their stories, but Guardians is Gunn's baby. The narrative has been clever, thrilling, emotionally cathartic, sprawling, and packed with Gunn's peculiar hallmarks. Tons of the other members of the cast have made it clear that they won't stick around after the director leaves the project. Dave Bautista announced his planned departure ages ago. With this in mind, it's fair to say that Guardians can't exist as fans know it without its central director. But, the franchise, at least in its source material, hasn't always consisted of the same team members. Maybe a new team of Guardians of the Galaxy could fill the hole left after Gunn's departure.

The Guardians of the Galaxy film franchise is based around the 2008 team, but the name belonged to an entirely different team in the 60s. The original