'Avengers: Endgame' Directors React to James Gunn's Re-Hiring

Many of Marvel's millions of worldwide fans were shocked when James Gunn was fired from the director role of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. In the months that followed, Disney remained firm on their decision until earlier in 2019 when it was revealed Gunn was re-hired and given the chance to complete his cosmic trilogy. Fans were thrilled to have him back. Avengers: Endgame directors Anthony Russo and Joe Russo share a similar sentiment.

Ahead of receiving the Directors of the Year Award at CinemaCon, the Russo Brothers caught up with Comicbook.com at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas for an in-depth interview regarding their filmmaking future and Avengers: Endgame. During the conversation seen in the video above, they opened up about Gunn's return.

"Yeah, I think it's fantastic," Joe Russo said. "I think he's an exceptional film maker and James really is the Guardians of the Galaxy. It would be hard to imagine anyone else taking the mantle of those characters and I think fans all over the world are very excited he's back."

Anthony and Joe Russo spoke highly of the entire Marvel family, often citing the bonds forged on those films' sets as the reasoning behind casting of Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman in their upcoming 21 Bridges film or Tom Holland playing the lead part in their Cherry movie. Gunn is a key part of that family which has mastered the formula of appealing to a global audience with event films year after year.

"I don't know if, as film makers, you ever see this opportunity again," Joe Russo said of their work on Avengers: Endgame. "But it's a clearly audiences are really supportive of the story being told, the Marvel universe, and we're bringing it to a grand close in Endgame...the most heartwarming moments to us when we travel around the world promoting this movie are when people say to us, 'Hey, I started watching this with my classmates when I was 10 years old and now I'm 21 and we're all going to go see it together,' or, you know, 'My parents and I have seen every one of these films together,' or, you know, 'I brought my kids to every one.' Whatever it is, there's always some sense of community around it and you asked that question earlier about reaching global audiences ... it just is something that seems to bind people in a way that is really satisfying as a film maker."

James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 does not yet have a release date. Avengers: Endgame hits theaters on April 26.