Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn has explained there is a list of actors he would never work with because of their temperament and behaviours on set. The MCU filmmaker didn’t reveal who is on his list, but gave plenty of reasons as to why an actor might find themselves on there.
Gunn is responsible for the Guardians of the Galaxy Marvel movies, and also worked in the DCEU on The Suicide Squad and the Peacemaker TV series. During his time in the superhero movie world, Gunn has worked with plenty of big name actors, and regularly teams up with the same performers time and time again. Clearly, he has his favourites, but he also has a “long list” of actors he would never work with.
Responding to questions on his Twitter account, Gunn stressed the importance of preparation, punctuality, and most importantly, attitude when it comes to picking who he collaborates with. He also revealed that he is always open to recasting if an actor isn’t working out.
“If it’s their temperament and it’s serious, I’ll immediately recast,” Gunn said during a Q&A session. “Life’s too short for assholes. Same if they’re repeatedly very late, which I hate, or unprepared. I have a long list of actors, A-list and otherwise, I’ll never work with for these reasons.”
“If it’s performance related and they’re putting their all into it, I’ll do everything on my end to make it work until it’s absolutely clear the quality of the project will be perceivably harmed if we don’t recast,” Gunn added. “This can happen with really talented actors who just don’t fit.”
Gunn may have brought comedy movies to the MCU, but he clearly doesn’t see the casting process as a joke. Apparently, he speaks to those he trusts in Hollywood before working with anyone and does his due diligence on potential collaborators.
“If it checks out they’re jerks (not just cranky or curmudgeons but actual jerks) or irresponsible I don’t hire them. Some actors I already know never to even consider.”
For everything you need to know about Gunn’s next project, check out our guide to the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 release date. Or to get to grips with the wider world of Marvel, here’s our guide to the MCU Phase 4.