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With Guardians of the Galaxy, writer/director James Gunn took one of Marvel Comics’ more obscure titles and turned it into a fan favorite. Beyond the upcoming third film, the future of the team in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is unclear. But in the meantime, Gunn revealed a surprising new tidbit about the original film.

Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana at San Diego Comic-Con
Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana at San Diego Comic-Con | Ethan Miller/Getty Images

‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ pushed boundaries for comedy in the MCU

The MCU is known for being generally light-hearted and family-friendly. While the series dips into serious territory now and again, generally the Disney-owned franchise aims to be a crowdpleaser. But even so, Gunn took the movies in something of a new direction.

Prior to working with Marvel, Gunn made dark, irreverent movies like Super and Slither. With Guardians of the Galaxy, he moved into PG-13 territory for the first time. Yet, he still kept his distinctive storytelling voice intact, delivering a movie unlike anything in the MCU.

Of course, the unique tone of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies is supported by their stellar soundtracks. But Gunn’s taste in music isn’t the only way in which he sets himself apart. The style of comedy in the movies is also incredibly his own.

James Gunn revealed Drax’s response to a John Stamos reference

Gunn’s comedic voice is so sharp, in fact, that Marvel brought him onboard to work on the Guardians’ scenes in Avengers: Infinity War. But in a recent social media post, Gunn revealed Disney made him cut a line of dialogue from the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie.

During one scene, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) describes Earth as a “planet of outlaws.” He names a few key examples, including Billy the Kid, Bonnie and Clyde, and Full House star John Stamos. But as Gunn shared on Twitter, there was originally a bit more to that moment.

After Quill name-drops Stamos, Drax (Dave Bautista) responds that he “would like to visit” before adding he would “kill many people there.” Perhaps such a direct threat of violence was too much for the Disney executives.

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Perhaps Disney was looking out for John Stamos

Or maybe it’s Stamos’ inclusion that was the issue. After all, the Guardians of the Galaxy movies feature plenty of on-screen violence. So it seems out-of-place that studio executives would take issue with such a passing reference to hypothetical violence.

If Stamos was the reason why, the reaction makes a bit makes sense. Stamos does have a long history working with Disney. Back in the 1990s, he starred on ABC sitcom Full House. And even as recently as 2019, he appeared in The Little Mermaid Live! television special as Chef Louis.

Gunn’s darker comic instincts make him the perfect filmmaker to bring the ragtag Guardians to life. But instances like this one are a testament to the limitations of working within the MCU. So fans have another reason to look forward to seeing what Gunn’s The Suicide Squad has in store.

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