Scooby Doo: James Gunn Says He Was Set to Write and Direct Third Movie

03/16/2020 04:27 pm EDT

Before turning the band of misfits known as the Guardians of the Galaxy into one of the most beloved teams of heroes on the big screen, James Gunn penned the scripts for the two live-action Scooby-Doo movies, back in the early 2000s. Most fans are aware he wrote the films, which have gained a substantial following since their initial release, but what people probably don't know is that Gunn was actually supposed to write AND direct the third movie. Unfortunately, it was never made.

During a Q&A on Instagram, Gunn was asked whether or not he'd ever consider making a third one. While a third movie isn't in the cards any more, the filmmaker did reveal that he was going to make another Scooby movie, but the box office performance of the second movie kept it from happening.

"I made a deal to write and direct #3 back in 2004 but the second one, although it did well, didn't do well enough to warrant a third, so the movie was never made," Gunn explained.

While we never got to see what Gunn would have accomplished as the director of a Scooby-Doo movie, it's because of his experience working on that franchise that he was prepared to take on the first Guardians of the Galaxy film for Marvel. Gunn went on to say that he apprenticed as a director while working on Scooby-Doo, initially because he was supposed to helm the third installment. That experience proved invaluable, and helped him land a job with Marvel studios a decade later.

"That said it was because I apprenticed as a director on those films I was ready and able to take on Guardians when the time came," he wrote.

Scooby-Doo was released in theaters in 2002, followed by Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed in 2004. The films were directed by Raja Gosnell and starred Freddie Prinze Jr. as Fred, Sarah Michelle Gellar as Daphne, Linda Cardellini as Velma, and Matthew Lillard as Shaggy. Neil Fanning provided the voice of Scooby.

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