When Guardians of the Galaxy was first announced back in 2014, many were assured this was going to be MCU’s first bomb, as the IP didn’t actually have a dedicated fanbase. On top of that, apart from Zoë Saldana, who was somewhat of a star, no one in the Guardians cast was an A-lister at the time, but as the story goes, James Gunn made it work.
Fast forward to today, the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy stands as one of the best superhero trilogies, whose final entry was lauded as the MCU’s best since Infinity War. And much like the film itself, which was one of the most emotionally heavy movies the cinematic giant had to offer, the last day on set brought Gunn to tears following Chris Pratt and Zoë Saldana’s speeches.
James Gunn Admits Tearing Up During the Last Day on Set
Considering Guardians 3 was the last dance for the crew together, as James Gunn had a cinematic universe to run, the last day on set was difficult for everyone, especially for Chris Pratt.
Speaking with Michael Rosenbaum, the director recalled Pratt tearing up while delivering the wrap-up speech, as the actor looked back on how everyone was assured this IP was doomed to fail. While Gunn joked that he didn’t cry to tease the Passengers Star, he did admit to getting teary-eyed.
He recalled:
“He gave this beautiful speech and he was crying… I didn’t cry… I didn’t cry, he was crying profusely. So he was very much crying like a baby and it was a little embarrassing, and how much it went on… In the speech, he went back and looked up all the articles that were written about the Guardians before the movie came out, and he’s quoting how ‘This is going to be Marvel’s first bomb. It was all this stuff about nobody caring about these characters.”
The Suicide Squad director further teased Pratt by saying he cried a lot during Saldana’s speech, joking that Pratt “probably gets jealous” when he says that.
Chris Pratt Was Thrilled After Disney Rehired James Gunn
Getting fired from Disney after his old controversial tweets surfaced was a gut punch for the director, who was sure his career was crumbling down. But during his lowest point, the Guardians stars made sure to be there for the acclaimed filmmaker, in order to get him through his tough times.
Eventually, after he was brought back for Guardians 3, after hitting it out of the park with The Suicide Squad, no one was more thrilled than Chris Pratt.
He told People:
“I was so thrilled, so excited. I think it’s the right move, I really stand behind it. I’m really proud of Disney for hiring James back and ultimately thrilled for not only us, but also for the fans. I think it’s going to wrap up the trilogy in the best way.”
With the Super filmmaker now in charge of the DCU, fans will hope the Guardians reunite with the director in the future.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is available to stream on Disney Plus.
