David Bowie Was Being Considered for Guardians Of Galaxy Vol. 2 Cameo

David Bowie’s influence is all over pop culture, and writer/director James Gunn is among the many creative individuals reminiscing about Bowie today, after his death early Monday morning.

Gunn posted on his official facebook page about the artist, noting his influence on multiple levels. He started by simply stating that he’s “horribly sad” about Bowie’s death, before talking about both artistic and personal connections.

“Bowie was an idol of mine, huge and omnipresent,” Gunn wrote. “Few artists in any field have had as an indelible impression upon me as he has. To my mind, Ziggy Stardust is perhaps the greatest rock and roll album of all time.”

To that end, Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream” was on the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack. Another song from the album (start your speculation – “Starman” is probably the most obvious choice) may make its way onto the sequel’s soundtrack, too.

“I always thought the album’s character was felt far beyond that, in the aesthetics, in the integral and seemingly-natural linking in popular culture of ’70’s rock and space opera,” Gunn said. “I’ve been trying to work another song from Ziggy into the sequel, which would make Bowie the only artist to have a song on both Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. I thought this was fair and appropriate. Although I cut the scene it was used in from the script, we have the rights. Who knows. Maybe I can figure a way out.”

Interestingly, it wasn’t just music Gunn planned to include in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the upcoming sequel. Bowie himself came up in conversation with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige for a cameo role in the film.

“Just a very short while ago Kevin Feige and I were talking about a cameo role in Guardians Vol. 2, and he brought up Bowie’s name. I told him nothing in the world would make me happier, but I heard from common friends he wasn’t doing well,” he said. “We heard back that he was okay and it could potentially happen. Who knows what that was about? But, for whatever reason, it made my Twitter revelation [of his passing] more of a surprise.”

On an even more personal note, Bowie’s music was present in a turning point in Gunn’s life.

“My pop cultural connection to Bowie goes deeper as it was the music that was playing the night I hit bottom on alcohol and drugs as a very young person. I got sober that night, and those songs – “TVC15”, “Star”, “Suffragette City” – are now deeply embedded in my psyche,” Gunn shared. “They all have a frightening, almost-religious context in my personal history.”

Gunn thanks Bowie, and sent his love to Duncan Jones, Bowie’s son, and the rest of his family.