James Gunn wanted to make this cult comic strip a film – and that helped shape the story of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ‘

You can define James GunnThe cinema is as you wish, but the most precise description would perhaps be that its films are generally very bizarre and have a lot of heart. Superman and the Galaxy goalkeepers The trilogy is all about this, for example, but one of his favorite stories composes all of this until 11.

In an impromptu question-answer session on Facebook in 2015, Gunn was invited to direct a comic adaptation, what if it was, and His answer was just as unusual as his style: We3. At the time, just after the success of the first Guards Film, it was like a perfect choice, but we did not know that he would not find a way to weave a lot We3 In one of his best films later.

What is “We3” talking about?

We3 is one of the series of vertigo seminal comics in the 2000s, by legends Grant Morrison And Frank Quitly. It’s also just the kind of story that talks about Gunn’s sensitivity, combining strangeness, heart and cute animals. He is centered on A group of three pets animals that have been experienced and go on a trip to freedom: The dog bandit, the Tinker cat and the rabbit pirate. They are part of a secret military project called We3, aimed at transforming animals into super weapons by giving them exoskeletons and cerebral implants to communicate.

One day, however, the government decides to move from the We3 initiative and ordered animal termination. The scientists who created them, however, have the heart to do it and rather released them, causing a hunting throughout the country. As all three had been originally kidnapped by the military to be part of We3, The only place they know where they can finally be safe and live in peace is “at home”, They therefore spend most of the story running from the army and trying to find this place, but without any idea where to look.

In 2004, Morrison revealed that most of her inspiration for writing We3 came to think about how humanity treats animals and conclude that “We injure, abuse and torture some animals because we can get out of it, in a typical style“And that humans are the dominant species of the earth only because of” our mastery of deadly technology and our childish enthusiasm for free destruction, not a mandate given by God “. This idea is often present in the work of Gunn, but other elements of We3 were also incorporated into one of his best films, Guardians of the Galaxy, vol. 3.

“Guardians of the Galaxy, vol. 3 ‘has many elements of’ we3 ‘

It is impossible to look Guardians of the Galaxy, vol. 3, Without crying. One of the many reasons is the Rocket (Bradley Cooper) Tragic history. In the first two films, Gunn alluded to a tragic background frame for our favorite raccoon, but no one expected it that sad: It was once part of lot 89, a group of animals that have been experienced by the great evolution (Adult) As part of his humanimal initiative, an attempt to create a perfect society in the earth.

Besides Rocket, other members of Lot 89 included the Otter Lylla (Linda Cardellini), Morse teefs (Asim Chaudhry), and rabbit soil (Mikaela Hoover), not all Rocket managed to save during their attempted escape from the High Evolutionary laboratories. Although the character himself is from the comics, Rocket has many features that come from We3especially The guilt he feels that he cannot save his friendsAnd how he did not initially believe that the experiences made on him and the Lot 89 were bad, and assimilate them only fully years later.

The influence We3 a on Flight. 3 Go beyond the rocket. For example, not only is Cosmo (Maria Bakalova) Ability to also talk about the comics, but Her constant need for approval and reassurance that she is a good dog looks like a nod to Banditwhich also feels this need. Even when he has to fight the army We3He feels guilty because he never wanted to hurt anyone. He constantly qualifies as “bad dog”, even if he is really the best.

‘We3’ could still be a great story centered on the animal in the DCU

Unfortunately, We3 I never succeeded on the big screen, even after the rights of the comic strip were acquired by New Line in 2005, with Morrison himself ready to write the script. Maybe it was for the best at that time, but It is really a story that should eventually make its way in theaters, and there is no one better than James Gunn to do it. He has always been an activist and a fierce defender of animal rights and adoption campaigns, was appointed the person of the year in 2023 of Peta and recently revealed his strict work ethics involving animals on the set.

As a new DCU chief, Gunn has found ways to include animals in all his works, from Ratcatcher II (Daniela Melchior) rats in The suicide team has SupermanIt is Krypto, who is inspired by his own rescue dog, Ozu. Even Peacemaker Understands the brilliant Eagly, who is entirely digital for obvious reasons. But The DCU still has no history entirely centered on the animal, and We3 would make a perfect entryEspecially because it is already part of the DC universe in comics, because it was published by Vertigo. We know that Gunn has full hands with several projects to come, but it would be great to see a bandit, handyman and pirate on the big screen – they deserve it.

Guardians of the Galaxy, vol. 3 is available to broadcast on Disney +.