Filmmaker James Gunn, actors Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana from Marvel Studios movie 'Guardians of the Galaxy'. Kevin Winter | Getty Images

A risk-taking approach from Disney's Marvel Studios has racked up some big wins, most recently, multiple Oscars for "Black Panther," but its decision to use the script of fired "Guardians of the Galaxy" director James Gunn for the third installment of the trilogy takes Marvel and its parent company back into the tricky waters of social controversy. Gunn was fired last summer for jokes he made on Twitter years prior to becoming the face of the "Guardians" franchise — he had made jokes involving sexual abuse and children. Gunn also made highly politicized comments on his social media — it was conservative social media users who brought Gunn's insensitive tweets to light. But in a recent interview addressing Gunn's influence on the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed that "Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume Three" will in fact use the script that Gunn wrote. "His influence was Guardians... It was his input on Guardians and the 'Avengers' films, as you've seen in 'Infinity War,' and on the Guardians 3 script, which we're still using. So you'll see that influence." The two "Guardian's" movies: "Guardians of the Galaxy" (2014) and "Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2" (2017) grossed a combined worldwide total over $1.5 billion, according to Box Office Mojo, and both films scored well with critics and audiences, with scores in the 80s and 90s on Rotten Tomatoes. Although the franchise has an all-star cast which consists of Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana and Bradley Cooper, among others, it has been Gunn's writing and vision that have defined what was a mostly second-tier list of Marvel characters, winning him approval from film critics. "All praise to director James Gunn ... for making his first epic an epic treat," wrote Rolling Stone's film reviewer Peter Travers in regards to Gunn's first Guardians movie.

Marvel's loss, DC's gain

Disney chairman Alan Horn reflected on the firing in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, saying people need to be "careful" with what they post on social media. "I feel sad for some of the people ensnared in all of this. And sometimes I feel like, 'Wow, what they said is so outrageous that it must have occurred to them that it would have repercussions.' It's a very open world now, and this stuff is a matter of record. The admonition is: Be careful." The repercussions did not extend to Marvel Studios' main competitor at the box office, Warner Bros. and DC, which in October 2018 hired Gunn to write and direct a sequel to 2016's "Suicide Squad" a supervillain team-up movie that consists of the Joker, Harley Quinn and other DC comic book antagonists. Despite winning an Oscar for Best Achievement in Makeup and Hair Styling and grossing over $746 million worldwide, "Suicide Squad" has often been criticized for its underwhelming plot and mixed tone, scoring a 27 percent on Rotten Tomatoes film critics' "Tomatometer" — audiences were kinder, giving the movie a score of 60 percent. Gunn will look to bring his "Guardian's" charm to his "Suicide Squad" narrative, releasing in 2021. "I think it's an incredibly brave and smart move by the studio. James is the right man for the job," tweeted David Ayer, the director of of the first "Suicide Squad" film.

There's probably a stronger argument to expect a box office decline without his involvement if the change in creative vision doesn't mesh and results in a final product that isn't as crowd-pleasing as the first two films. Shawn Robbins chief analyst for Box Office.com

Warner Bros. and DC's decision to scoop up Gunn points to a problem the Guardians franchise continues to have even with the script confirmed — the lack of a replacement director. "Certainly, relying on the Gunn script merely exposes their rash decision to fire him in the first place," said Kia Afra, a professor of film at Chapman University. "Gunn's Guardians 3 script was part of launching a new phase for the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), such that it tied into 'Avengers: Infinity War' and 'Avengers: Endgame,' which feature the Guardians characters. They simply cannot get rid of Gunn's script because it is very much part of the fabric of the new MCU." "Keeping the script would at least keep Gunn's vision alive in a way," says Jeremy Conrad, a media influencer and the Editor-in-Chief of MCUCosmic. "I think they're just trying to keep Gunn's vision alive via the script with the least amount of changes. Obviously there will be some changes as the movie is delayed."

Marvel's top-grossing films Film Domestic gross Worldwide gross Black Panther $700 million $1.3 billion Avengers: Infinity War $679 million $2 billion The Avengers $623 million $1.5 billion Avengers: Age of Ultron $459 million $1.4 billion Iron Man 3 $409 million $1.2 billion Captain America Civil War $408 million $1.1 billion Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 $390 million $864 million Spider-Man: Homecoming $334 million $880 million Guardians of the Galaxy $333 million $773 million

At a recent "Captain Marvel" press event, Feige said there is still no release date for the third installment, and emphasized Marvel's prioritization of other projects first. Leading man Chris Pratt has promised that fans will eventually see the space team back in action. "I promise there'll be a third movie, I don't know exactly what that's going to look like, but I know everyone on board is just eager to give the fans what they want and wrap up a trilogy in a meaningful way," Pratt said in a recent interview with Variety.

Hollywood winners overcoming controversy