The Biggest Problem Facing Guardians Of The Galaxy 4

Published Oct 12, 2026, 8:30 AM EDT

Since 2019, Kevin Erdmann has been one of Screen Rant's Senior Staff Writers, covering all kinds of Superhero and Star Wars media with Easter egg breakdowns, theory pieces, breaking news, and more. A huge Star Wars & MCU fan, Kevin also loves Batman (because he's Batman), but could talk for hours about why Nightwing is DC's greatest hero. 

With 8 years of total experience covering entertainment and pop culture, Kevin has gotten the chance to interview top creatives and talent, and has also attended major media events like Disney's D23 convention.

Majoring in Cinema Studies with a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife, adorable dog, and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.

The biggest challenge facing a potential Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 4 is finding a worthwhile way to continue one of the MCU's best franchises without the filmmaker who made it so special in the first place. With James Gunn having moved on from Marvel Studios to run DC Studios for Warner Bros., the prospect of making a new Guardians film without him feels like a pretty big hurdle.

After directing all three movies in the original Guardians trilogy and one truly perfect holiday special, James Gunn also served as an executive producer on films featuring the cosmic heroes, including Avengers: Infinity War, Endgame, Thor: Love and Thunder, and even the animated series I Am Groot.

Across the board, it was Gunn's vision and guidance that made these previously obscure galactic heroes on the comic book page into household names in the MCU. As a result, the idea of finding someone to take over the franchise and keep it faithful feels like a pretty tall order when talking about something like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 4.

James Gunn Is What Made Guardians Of The Galaxy So Special

Back in 2014, the first Guardians of the Galaxy was undoubtedly a major gamble for Marvel Studios. After all, we're talking about a team of intergalactic heroes featuring a talking raccoon and walking tree (aka flora colossus). And yet, Gunn managed to turn the Guardians of the Galaxy into one of the MCU's most unique franchises in terms of both visuals and tone. Amid the solid humor, incredible soundtrack, and cosmic action, every member of the team is given genuine dimension and emotional depth.

The Guardians movies also have an incredible balance, dealing with more serious elements like trauma and loss and allowing audiences to truly relate and empathize with these characters. When put all together, it was this incredibly unique and layered vision from James Gunn that made Guardians of the Galaxy work so well in the MCU.

Guardians 4 Cannot Bring Back James Gunn

Image by INSTARImages.com

Unfortunately, Gunn's departure from Marvel Studios makes a fourth movie especially complicated, as he's now one of the heads of DC Studios. Under Gunn's leadership, the last two years have seen a brand-new DC Universe taking off, featuring projects like Gunn's Superman movie in 2025, this year's Supergirl, HBO's Lanterns, Clayface releasing later this month, and more exciting projects on the way.

All things considered, his new role and responsibilities with the DCU more than likely make the idea of Gunn directing another Guardians of the Galaxy movie very difficult to imagine, especially when Gunn himself has said that 2023's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was very much the end of the story he wanted to tell with these characters.

However, that doesn't mean that Marvel Studios should abandon the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise entirely. After all, the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 set up a brand-new roster led by Rocket Raccoon, while also teasing the return of Star-Lord at some point in the MCU's future. It's just a matter of finding the right director who could honor Gunn's legacy, while also introducing a new Guardians era all their own.

Who Could Direct Guardians Of The Galaxy 4 Instead Of James Gunn?

Image via Marvel/MovieStillsDB

When thinking about the kind of directors who could theoretically helm a fourth Guardians of the Galaxy movie, the trick is not simply finding directors who could best emulate James Gunn's style. The hope would be that they could capture the same spirit of an ensemble team of misfits while also offering something fresh and new to the franchise, especially with a new team having been formed at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Keeping that in mind, directors like Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley feel like a solid choice, having just directed Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, which carries a lot of the right narrative/character DNA. Goldstein and Daley also have some history with the MCU, having helped write the script for 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming. I also like the idea of someone like David Leitch, whose projects include Deadpool 2, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Fall Guy, and Bullet Train.

Again, the goal would be to capture the same spirit and legacy Gunn left behind, while still bringing something new to the table, and I think directors like Goldstein, Daley, or Leitch could definitely make it happen.

Guardians Of The Galaxy's New Team Still Deserves A Movie

Image via Marvel Studios

As previously mentioned, the best argument that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 4 needs to happen is that Vol. 3 already gave a promising new lineup of heroes to kick off a new era. Rocket is now the team's leader and is still joined by a much larger Groot. The rest of the team includes Kraglin with Yondu's yaka arrow, Cosmo the Space Dog, Adam Warlock, and Phyla-Vell. Making a brief appearance in one of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's post-credits scenes, the new Guardians could absolutely lead a new film, perhaps with some additions like Nova or other classic cosmic heroes.

A fourth Guardians of the Galaxy movie could also explore the consequences of the original Guardians going their separate ways without forcing everyone back together. After all, Vol. 3 saw Star-Lord finally returning to Earth to reunite with his grandfather, Mantis went off on her own independent journey, and Nebula and Drax chose to remain leading Knowhere. It's not outside the realm of possibility to imagine some future appearances, particularly from Chris Pratt's Star-Lord,considering Vol. 3's last post-credits scene promising his return.

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Even so, there's still the challenge of making audiences care and get invested in this new lineup just as much as they cared about the original Guardians. It would definitely require strong character dynamics, and a director who similarly understands that the team's relationships matter more than cosmic spectacle, just as James Gunn did.

Although Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 4 isn't confirmed, one can hope that a fourth movie might be in the cards for the MCU post-Secret Wars era once the Multiverse Saga concludes. Likewise, perhaps the Guardians will be featured in Secret Wars itself? Time will tell. At any rate, the new team of Guardians definitely deserves an opportunity to prove itself at some point in the MCU's future (Gun or no Gunn).