If you're a longtime visitor to this site, chances are you remember the collective shrug when a Guardians of the Galaxy movie was announced at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2012.
Two years later, filmmaker James Gunn blew us all away with his take on Star-Lord and company, delivering a gorgeous, thrilling reinvention of the team that was set to an unforgettable soundtrack. However, had one unnamed person had their way, Guardians of the Galaxy would've sounded very different.
Addressing fans on Threads, the current DC Studios co-CEO said, "I was told no one would like the Guardians [of the Galaxy] soundtrack and I should change it to Britney Spears like 90's songs. I don't know if it's the worst [advice I've received], but it's the one I remember the most!"
While there's likely a version of Guardians of the Galaxy that wouldn't work well with some catchy pop songs from the 90s, Gunn's eclectic choice of needle drops—ranging from "Hooked on a Feeling" by Blue Swede to "Come and Get Your Love" by Cherrybone—went down a treat.
Gunn has since brought his love of obscure music to the DCU, with Creature Commandos, Superman, and Peacemaker season 2 all boasting memorable tunes.
Before Gunn was fired by Disney in 2018, we'd heard that the plan was for him to oversee a slate of "Marvel Cosmic Universe" movies. Last December, the filmmaker confirmed that at least three spin-offs were being planned at one time.
"The Ravagers show I thought could be a fun thing. Legendary Star-Lord, frankly, we had a whole idea for that. Rocket and Groot, to be honest, is what Guardians 3 was. I wanted to do Rocket and Groot first but I was talked into doing Guardians 3 instead. I knew I needed to tell Rocket's story."
Gunn later made it clear that he has no issue passing the Guardians of the Galaxy baton to a new filmmaker, though he will likely receive a producer credit on any future projects featuring the team.
"Um, I don't know the exact legal answer to that," the Superman writer and director initially responded when asked if that would be the case. "I think the answer is actually yes but I'm not sure what the answer is. Listen, I'm excited for them to do whatever they want to with the Guardians. They all have my blessing."
You can see more from Gunn in the Threads posts below.