James Gunn helped to bring the cosmic world of Marvel into their Cinematic Universe when he directed and co-wrote the box office juggernaut Guardians of the Galaxy. But did you know Gunn almost entered the cosmic realm of Marvel much sooner than that?
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Gunn has recounts the time he wrote a treatment for a Silver Surfer film on his facebook page.
Hey my quote is on the cover of this month’s Silver Surfer so pick it up. Little known fact: When I first moved to LA in 1999, one of the first people I met on a meeting was an exec at Fox. He told me they wanted to make a Silver Surfer movie, and I might be right for that, so I wrote an extensive treatment. It was a huge story, cosmic as hell, and featured the Silver Surfer turning on Galactus (but no Fantastic Four – this was before the first FF film).
At the same time, I was approached by director Jay Roach and his producer Shauna Robertson about writing a live-action Spy Vs. Spy film. That film seemed more likely to get made, and I loved Jay and Shauna, so I took that gig instead. It was my first studio film job.
Of course, in eventuality, neither movie ever got made. But people liked the Spy Vs. Spy script, so I got a lot of work because of it. That said, I sometimes wonder what it would have been like had I truly jumped into the cosmic Marvel pool 16 years ago. Instead, I shall satisfy myself reading the great work of Dan Slott and Mike Allred every month! – James Gunn
The Silver Surfer will make his feature film debut in Tim Story’s 2005 film the Fantastic Four: The Rises Of The Silver Surfer. He was portrayed by Doug Jones (Arrow) and voiced by Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix).
Guardians of the Galaxy 2 will arrive in theaters May 5, 2017.
