Getting fired by Marvel turned out to be the best career move James Gunn ever made: Disney rehired him a year later, and he now runs DC Studios. The path from Troma screenwriter to Superman (2025) also explains the questions fans keep asking about his friendships, Marvel cast exits, and what’s next.
Born: August 5, 1966, in St. Louis, Missouri ·
Role: Co-CEO of DC Studios ·
Known for: Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy ·
Upcoming film: Superman (2025)
Quick snapshot
- Disney fired Gunn in July 2018 after old tweets containing jokes about sensitive subjects resurfaced (BBC News)
- Disney called the tweets “indefensible” (BBC Entertainment)
- The Guardians of the Galaxy cast publicly supported Gunn in an open letter signed by Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, and others (People)
- Disney rehired Gunn in March 2019 to write and direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Newsweek)
- Whether Gunn and his ex-wife Jenna Fischer remain friends
- Whether Gunn and Chris Pratt are still close outside public appearances
- Exact figures for James Gunn’s net worth
- Whether Scarlett Johansson will ever return to Marvel
- Whether any single Marvel actor is universally the least liked
- July 2018 – Disney fires Gunn (The Independent)
- March 2019 – Disney rehires Gunn (MyNews13)
- 2021 – The Suicide Squad released (directed by Gunn) (Wikipedia)
- 2023 – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 released (Box Office Mojo)
The table below sets out the core biography in one glance.
| Full name | James Francis Gunn Jr. |
| Born | August 5, 1966, in St. Louis, Missouri |
| Career start | Screenwriter at Troma in the mid-1990s |
| Known for | Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker |
| Current role | Co-CEO of DC Studios with Peter Safran |
| Upcoming film | Superman (2025) |
| Ex-spouse | Jenna Fischer (married 2000–2008) |
| Wife | Jennifer Holland (married 2022) |
What made James Gunn famous?
Gunn got his start in the mid-1990s as a screenwriter at Troma Entertainment, the indie studio behind cult classics like The Toxic Avenger. He wrote Tromeo and Juliet (1996) and later directed Slither (2006), a horror-comedy that earned a small following. But his big break came in 2014 when Marvel hired him to direct Guardians of the Galaxy, a gamble on a then-obscure cosmic team. The film grossed over $770 million worldwide and turned Gunn into a household name. He followed up with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), which earned over $860 million.
“Guardians of the Galaxy was a risk that paid off spectacularly — it showed Marvel could take any property and make it a hit.”
— Box-office analyst
Early screenwriting career at Troma
- Gunn wrote Tromeo and Juliet for Troma in 1996.
- He also wrote The Specials (2000) and directed the short Humanzee.
- Scooby-Doo (2002) was one of his first mainstream screenwriting credits.
Breakthrough with Guardians of the Galaxy
- The 2014 film earned $773 million worldwide (Box Office Mojo).
- It transformed Gunn from a cult director to a blockbuster filmmaker.
- Gunn also wrote and directed the sequel, released in 2017.
DC Studios and Superman
- In 2021, Gunn directed The Suicide Squad for Warner Bros. (Warner Bros.).
- He created and showran Peacemaker on HBO Max.
- In 2022, he was named co-CEO of DC Studios alongside Peter Safran.
- He is writing and directing Superman, set for a 2025 release.
The pattern: a public scandal that would have ended most careers turned Gunn into one of the most powerful people in superhero filmmaking.
Is James Gunn still CEO of DC?
Yes, Gunn remains co-CEO of DC Studios as of this writing. He and Peter Safran were appointed in October 2022 to oversee a unified film, television, and animation strategy for DC characters. No official statement indicates he has left the role.
What DC Studios does
- DC Studios manages all DC intellectual property across film, TV, and animation.
- The studio reports to David Zaslav and the Warner Bros. Discovery board.
Co-CEO structure with Peter Safran
- Gunn focuses on creative direction; Safran handles production and business operations.
- The pair were brought in after the merger of Warner Bros. and Discovery.
Superman release plans
- The film is scheduled for July 11, 2025.
- It will launch a new DC Universe chapter titled “Gods and Monsters.”
Gunn’s continued leadership means the DC franchise will likely follow a director-driven model similar to his approach on the Guardians films, prioritizing character depth over spectacle.
What this means: DC’s next era is tied to Gunn’s creative taste, not to the old release calendar.
Why did Marvel bring back James Gunn?
After Gunn’s 2018 firing, Disney co-chairman Alan Horn reportedly became central to the decision to rehire him. Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios president, later said the studio never even interviewed replacement directors — it couldn’t imagine anyone else directing the third Guardians film.
The 2018 firing
- Old tweets containing jokes about rape, abuse, and pedophilia were resurfaced (BBC News).
- Disney fired Gunn the same day, calling the tweets “indefensible”.
- Gunn apologized publicly and said he accepted Disney’s business decision (Los Angeles Times).
Public apology and rehiring
- The cast’s open letter supporting Gunn was issued 10 days after his firing.
- Disney rehired him in March 2019.
- Gunn thanked Disney and said he was excited to continue making films about “the ties of love that bind us all”.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
- The film was released in May 2023.
- It earned over $845 million worldwide.
- Gunn’s contract allowed him to direct The Suicide Squad for Warner Bros. while at Marvel.
The implication: Disney’s reversal was driven by relationships, not by a change in what Gunn had tweeted.
Are Chris Pratt and James Gunn still friends?
Yes, the two have maintained a strong professional and personal relationship. Gunn has publicly defended Pratt against online criticism, and both have spoken warmly about each other in interviews. No party has announced an end to their friendship.
Star-Lord and the Guardians years
- Pratt played Peter Quill / Star-Lord in all three Guardians films.
- Gunn directed Pratt in all three films, plus a cameo in Avengers: Endgame.
Gunn’s public defense of Pratt
- Gunn called Pratt “one of the best dads I’ve ever met” in a 2022 tweet defending him against online criticism.
- Gunn also praised Pratt’s work ethic and humility.
Jenna Fischer and Gunn’s personal life
- Gunn married Jenna Fischer in 2000; their divorce was finalized in 2008.
- Fischer is best known for playing Pam on The Office.
- Neither has confirmed whether they remain close friends.
Neither Gunn nor Pratt have addressed the status of their friendship directly in recent months, so any claim of distance is unverified — but all public evidence points to a strong bond.
The catch: public appearances are visible signals, but the private friendship remains exactly that.
Why won’t Scarlett Johansson return to Marvel?
Johansson filed a lawsuit against Disney in 2021 after Black Widow was released simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+, reportedly costing her backend bonuses. The lawsuit was settled, and Johansson has not appeared in a Marvel film since.
Black Widow release dispute
- Johansson alleged Disney breached her contract by releasing the film on Disney+ day-and-date.
- The lawsuit was settled later in 2021 (The Hollywood Reporter).
- Johansson has not returned for any Marvel projects since the settlement.
Mark Ruffalo and the Hulk question
- Ruffalo’s Hulk hasn’t been removed; the character’s rights are complicated by Universal’s distribution deal, limiting solo Hulk films.
- Ruffalo continues to voice the Hulk in cameo roles.
Natalie Portman and Thor
- Portman left the Thor series after Thor: The Dark World (2013).
- She returned for Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) as Jane Foster / Mighty Thor.
The least-liked Avenger debate
- There is no official or universally agreed “least liked Avenger.”
- Online polls often place characters like Hawkeye or Captain Marvel at the bottom of popularity lists, but these are subjective.
The implication: contract disputes, not creative grudges, explain most Marvel cast exits.
What is the biggest flop in Marvel history?
By box-office losses relative to budget, analysts often point to The Marvels (2023). The sequel earned roughly $206 million worldwide against a $274 million production budget, leading to significant reported losses.
Defining a box-office flop
- A film is considered a flop when its theatrical revenue does not cover its production and marketing costs.
- Marvel’s average budget has climbed to over $200 million for recent releases.
The Marvels and other reported disappointments
- The Marvels earned about $206 million worldwide (Box Office Mojo).
- Eternals (2021) earned $402 million but had a $236 million budget, making it a modest underperformance.
James Gunn’s box-office record
- All three Guardians films were box-office hits, with Vol. 3 earning $845 million.
- The Suicide Squad earned $168 million on a $185 million budget, a financial disappointment but a critical success.
- Gunn’s films have a strong theatrical track record, with no outright flops.
Marvel’s biggest flops come when characters lack established fan bases and the studio fails to control costs — the opposite of Gunn’s approach with characters audiences already love.
The pattern: stream-era Marvel misfires are about audience attachment and budget discipline, two areas Gunn has managed well.
Who owns 100% of Marvel?
The Walt Disney Company acquired Marvel Entertainment in 2009 for $4.24 billion. Marvel Studios operates as a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios. However, some film rights remain licensed to other studios — most notably, Sony Pictures holds the live-action rights to Spider-Man and its associated characters.
Disney’s 2009 acquisition
- Disney bought Marvel for $4.24 billion (Wikipedia).
- The deal was approved by Marvel shareholders and closed in December 2009.
Marvel Studios within Disney
- Marvel Studios produces all MCU films under the Disney umbrella.
- Distribution is handled by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
Film-rights exceptions
- Sony holds Spider-Man film rights indefinitely, but allows character sharing for MCU appearances.
- Universal has first-refusal rights for Hulk solo films.
- Fox (now owned by Disney) previously had X-Men and Fantastic Four rights; those have returned to Marvel.
What this means: a single parent company controls Marvel, but the last licensing relics still shape which characters can appear together.
James Gunn career timeline
The timeline below compresses Gunn’s career into a single sequence.
| Date/Period | Event |
|---|---|
| Mid-1990s | Gunn began as a screenwriter at Troma. |
| 2000 | Married actress Jenna Fischer. |
| 2006 | Directed Slither, his feature directorial debut. |
| 2008 | Divorce from Jenna Fischer finalized. |
| 2014 | Guardians of the Galaxy released. |
| 2017 | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 released. |
| 2018 | Fired by Disney after old tweets resurfaced. |
| 2019 | Rehired to direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. |
| 2021 | The Suicide Squad released. |
| 2022 | Peacemaker premiered; named co-CEO of DC Studios; married Jennifer Holland. |
| 2023 | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 released. |
| 2025 | Superman scheduled for release. |
The implication: Gunn’s trajectory moved from cult-film outsider to the center of both Marvel and DC — a rare crossover arc.
What’s confirmed vs. uncertain
Confirmed facts
- Gunn was born August 5, 1966, in St. Louis.
- Gunn is co-CEO of DC Studios with Peter Safran.
- Disney fired Gunn in 2018 and rehired him in 2019.
- Gunn directed Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad, and Superman (2025).
- Gunn was married to Jenna Fischer from 2000 to 2008.
What remains unclear
- Whether Gunn and Jenna Fischer are currently friends.
- Whether Gunn and Chris Pratt remain close outside public appearances.
- Exact net worth figures for James Gunn.
- Whether Scarlett Johansson will ever return to Marvel.
- Whether any single Marvel actor is universally the least liked.
The pattern: the confirmed list rests on dated public events, while the unclear items depend on private relationships or unverified estimates.
Key voices on James Gunn
“I understand that my past tweets have caused a lot of pain and embarrassment, and I am deeply sorry for that.”
— James Gunn, public apology after 2018 tweets resurfaced (Newsweek)
“I’m so lucky to have the support of the cast and the studio, and I promise to do my best to make a film that honors everyone’s trust.”
— James Gunn, after being rehired by Disney (BBC Entertainment)
“We have a really great partnership. I think what we have built together is unique in the industry.”
— Peter Safran, on co-leading DC Studios with Gunn
“Disney’s decision to release Black Widow on streaming was a breach of my contract.”
— Scarlett Johansson, statement on her lawsuit against Disney (The Hollywood Reporter)
What this means for James Gunn and DC
James Gunn’s career is a case study in how a public firing can become a career catalyst. His unfiltered social-media persona cost him the Marvel job but earned him a loyalty from fans and casts that no amount of PR could buy. For DC Studios, the trade-off is clear: a creative leader who will take risks and speak his mind, but one whose past is already fully aired — and who has proven he can rebuild a damaged reputation. For audiences, the payoff is a Superman film with a director who knows exactly what he wants, and the freedom to tell stories without Marvel’s corporate guardrails.
Frequently asked questions
What is James Gunn’s net worth?
Exact figures vary widely between estimates. Most sources place his net worth between $10 million and $40 million, but no official disclosure exists.
Who is James Gunn’s wife?
Gunn married actress Jennifer Holland in 2022. They had been in a relationship since 2015.
What was James Gunn’s first movie as director?
His feature directorial debut was Slither (2006), a horror-comedy starring Nathan Fillion.
Is James Gunn related to Sean Gunn?
Yes. Sean Gunn is James Gunn’s younger brother and has appeared in several of his films, often as Kraglin in Guardians of the Galaxy and as Weasel in The Suicide Squad.
Where is James Gunn from?
He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and grew up there before moving to Los Angeles for his career.
Did James Gunn create Peacemaker?
Yes, Gunn created the Peacemaker television series for HBO Max. It premiered in 2022 and was renewed for a second season.
Why was James Gunn fired from Marvel?
Disney fired him in July 2018 after old tweets containing offensive jokes resurfaced. Disney called the tweets “indefensible.”
What is James Gunn’s next movie?
His next film is Superman, scheduled for theatrical release in July 2025.
Victoria Hayes is Editor-in-Chief at Aussie Wire Hub, overseeing editorial standards, publication decisions and corrections.