James Gunn ruminates on the end of his Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy

Few series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have achieved the cult status that the Guardians of the Galaxy has, and the man behind the magic is writer-director James Gunn. After bringing the lovable gang of cosmic misfits to life with the original Guardians of the Galaxy movie in 2014, Gunn recently rounded off the trilogy with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Speaking to The New York Times, Gunn took a deep dive into the series. Beware SPOILERS below!

One of the surprises at the end of Vol. 3 was that not only were all the characters alive, but thriving, many of them embarking on new adventures. Gunn did this because of his deep affection for his ensemble, particularly Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), with whom he shares a “strange connection.”

"I needed to tell Rocket’s story. I couldn’t have that stuff inside of me and not express it. I have a strange connection to that character where I feel like he deserves everything."

James Gunn explains the final dance scene in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

From Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) returning to Earth to Mantis (Pom Klementieff) setting off to find herself, Gunn’s finale feels like a series of fresh beginnings. The movie also features some interesting chemistry between Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and Nebula (Karen Gillan), which Gunn acknowledges was intentional. But the idea of a romantic relationship between the pair was quickly shelved in favor of keeping their interaction “spiky.” “I think it’s very normal in any close friendship to have some sort of occasional romantic or crush-like feelings,” Gunn said.

The dance sequence at the end set to “Dog Days Are Over” by Florence + the Machine reflects Gunn’s sentimentality. According to Gunn, this moment, where he and his brother Sean dance as Groot and Rocket, was a surreal, emotional, and powerfully beautiful experience, encapsulating the essence of their childhood in a massive Marvel production. “I’ve been a fan of that album and that song since it came out, and it’s pretty cool because I just got an email from Florence Welch, who posted herself watching the movie and crying on TikTok yesterday. I think it’s probably the greatest pop song of the 21st century,” Gunn said.

Gunn’s stint with Marvel may be over, but he’s looking forward to his next journey. “Satisfaction, relief and just a real gentle pat on my back going, ‘OK, now we’ve got the next phase to work on, and I’m comfortable doing that.'”

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