Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 writer-director James Gunn has spoken out about Disney’s purchase of 21st Century Fox.

The deal, confirmed earlier today, will officially bring the X-Men and Fantastic Four properties into the Disney-owned Marvel Cinematic Universe.

“While there are many aspects to Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox’s assets, I am personally incredibly happy about it, for obvious reason,” Gunn wrote on Twitter. “Welcome home, old friends.”

Gunn followed up the tweet with a picture of Doop, an ancillary X-Men character who first appeared in X-Force and belonging to mutant team X-Statix. “Just saw this guy pulling up next to my office,” Gunn wrote, with a picture of the green spheroid creature attached.

Responding to comments made by Knocked Up director Judd Apatow — who said “The studio will no longer be owned by the Murdoch’s who are toxic to our country and government because they are part of a propaganda arm which has no interest in anything but making them richer,” adding he hopes less movies won’t be made overall — Gunn agreed and exhibited an interest in the cosmic Silver Surfer, whose onscreen rights have long been controlled by Fox.

“I was thinking more about, like, you know, the Silver Surfer, but this is a valid point as well,” Gunn quipped.

Gunn previously noted he and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige are discussing the next iteration of Marvel‘s cosmic characters, and the filmmaker revealed he is “shepherding the future of the Marvel cosmic universe.”

The Disney/Fox deal means Gunn could utilize cosmic characters such as Silver Surfer, the Phoenix and Fantastic Four villain Annihilus, who served as a major focus of Marvel Comics’ cosmic-centered Annihilation event.

Gunn is returning to script and direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 22017

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 22017

ComicBook Composite

84.75

All-Time Comic Movies #7

Your rating

All-Time Rated #18

Average rating 3.89/5 from 828 users