James Gunn is an American filmmaker known for his work in the superhero and horror-comedy genres. He started his career with Troma Entertainment before directing films like "Slither" and the "Guardians of the Galaxy" trilogy. In 2022, Gunn and Peter Safran were appointed co-chairmen and co-CEOs of DC Studios, tasked with rebooting the DC Universe (DCU) franchise. Gunn will oversee all DCU film and television productions, including the upcoming Superman film, which he will write and direct.
August 5, 1966: James Gunn's Birthday
James Francis Gunn Jr. was born on August 5, 1966. This marks the beginning of his journey to becoming a prominent figure in the entertainment industry.
1984: James Gunn Graduates High School
James Gunn graduated from the Jesuit St. Louis University High School in 1984.
1989: James Gunn Founds The Icons
James Gunn founded the band The Icons in 1989, where he served as lead vocalist.
1994: The Icons Release Debut Album
The Icons, James Gunn's band, released their debut album, "Mom, We Like It Here on Earth," in 1994.
1995: James Gunn Earns Master of Fine Arts from Columbia University
James Gunn earned his Master of Fine Arts degree from Columbia University in 1995.
1995: James Gunn Begins Career at Troma Entertainment
James Gunn's filmmaking career began in 1995 with Troma Entertainment, where he co-wrote "Tromeo and Juliet."
1997: Bobcat Goldthwait Voices Character in Disney's "Hercules"
Bobcat Goldthwait, who would later react to Gunn's dismissal from Disney, voiced a character in the 1997 Disney film "Hercules".
1997: James Gunn's Screenwriting Debut with "Tromeo and Juliet"
James Gunn began his career as a screenwriter in 1997 with the release of "Tromeo and Juliet," a Troma Entertainment production.
1998: Co-authors "All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from The Toxic Avenger"
In 1998, James Gunn and Troma Entertainment's President Lloyd Kaufman co-wrote "All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from The Toxic Avenger", which drew upon Gunn's experiences working with Kaufman at Troma.
October 7, 2000: Gunn Marries Jenna Fischer
James Gunn married actress Jenna Fischer on October 7, 2000.
2000: Publication of "The Toy Collector"
In 2000, James Gunn published his novel "The Toy Collector", a story about a hospital orderly who steals drugs to support his toy collecting habit.
2000: James Gunn Writes, Produces, and Performs in "The Specials"
In 2000, James Gunn wrote, produced, and acted in the superhero comedy "The Specials," directed by Craig Mazin.
2002: James Gunn Writes "Scooby-Doo"
James Gunn wrote his first major Hollywood screenplay for "Scooby-Doo" in 2002.
2002: James Gunn Writes "Scooby-Doo"
James Gunn wrote the screenplay for the live-action adaptation of "Scooby-Doo" in 2002.
2004: James Gunn Achieves Consecutive Box Office Success
With the release of "Dawn of the Dead" and "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed" in 2004, James Gunn became the first screenwriter to have two films top the box office in consecutive weeks.
2004: James Gunn Writes "Dawn of the Dead" Remake and "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed"
James Gunn wrote the screenplays for the remake of "Dawn of the Dead" and the sequel "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed" in 2004.
2006: James Gunn Directs "Slither"
James Gunn made his directorial debut with the horror-comedy film "Slither" in 2006, marking his transition from screenwriting to directing.
2006: James Gunn Directs "Slither"
James Gunn made his film directorial debut with the horror-comedy "Slither" in 2006.
September 5, 2007: Gunn and Fischer Announce Separation
James Gunn and Jenna Fischer announced their separation on September 5, 2007, after seven years of marriage.
2008: Gunn and Fischer Divorce
Following their separation in 2007, James Gunn and Jenna Fischer officially divorced in 2008.
2008: Posts Controversial Jokes on Social Media
From 2008 to 2012, James Gunn posted controversial jokes on social media that would later resurface and lead to his dismissal from "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3".
2008: Premiere of "James Gunn's PG Porn" and James Gunn as Judge on "Scream Queens"
James Gunn's web series "James Gunn's PG Porn" premiered. He also served as a judge on the VH1 reality show "Scream Queens" in 2008.
December 31, 2008: Release of "Sparky and Mikaela" on Xbox Live
James Gunn's short film "Sparky and Mikaela" replaced "Humanzee!" in the Xbox Live's Horror Meets Comedy series and debuted on December 31, 2008.
March 2009: James Gunn Exits "Pets"
In March 2009, James Gunn announced his departure from the comedy film "Pets," which was to be produced by Ben Stiller, Stuart Cornfeld, and Jeremy Kramer.
April 2009: James Gunn Discusses "Sparky and Mikaela"
In April 2009, James Gunn described his short film "Sparky and Mikaela" as a story about a human-raccoon crime-fighting team during an interview on The Jace Hall Show.
2009: Conclusion of "James Gunn's PG Porn"
James Gunn's web series "James Gunn's PG Porn" concluded in 2009.
2010: Release of "Super," Directed by James Gunn
In 2010, James Gunn directed the superhero dark comedy "Super," starring Rainn Wilson and Elliot Page.
2010: Fischer Suggests Rainn Wilson for Role in Gunn's Film "Super"
Jenna Fischer recommended her "The Office" co-star Rainn Wilson for a role in Gunn's film "Super" in 2010.
2012: James Gunn Contributes to Video Game "Lollipop Chainsaw"
James Gunn contributed to the 2012 hack-and-slash video game "Lollipop Chainsaw."
2012: Controversial Jokes on Social Media End
James Gunn stopped posting controversial jokes on social media in 2012, though these posts would later resurface in 2018, leading to his dismissal from "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3".
2013: James Gunn Directs Segment in "Movie 43"
James Gunn directed a segment starring Elizabeth Banks and Josh Duhamel in the 2013 comedy anthology film "Movie 43."
2013: Release of "Movie 43," Including a Segment Directed by James Gunn
The comedy anthology film "Movie 43" was released in 2013, featuring a segment titled "Beezel," directed by James Gunn.
2014: James Gunn Directs Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy"
James Gunn directed the Marvel Studios adaptation of "Guardians of the Galaxy," which was released on August 1, 2014, marking his entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
2015: Gunn and Holland's Relationship Begins
James Gunn began dating actress Jennifer Holland in 2015.
2016: James Gunn Writes and Produces "The Belko Experiment"
James Gunn wrote and produced the horror-action film "The Belko Experiment," which would later be released in 2017.
2017: Release of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" and "The Belko Experiment"
In 2017, James Gunn directed "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" and wrote and produced the horror film "The Belko Experiment."
July 2018: Controversial Tweets Resurface, Leading to Dismissal from "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3"
In July 2018, past controversial jokes made by Gunn on social media, between 2008 and 2012, resurfaced and sparked backlash, leading to his dismissal from directing "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" by Disney.
July 2018: James Gunn Set to Direct "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3"
James Gunn was scheduled to direct "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" in July 2018.
July 30, 2018: "Guardians of the Galaxy" Cast Shows Support for Gunn
On July 30, 2018, the cast of "Guardians of the Galaxy" released a joint statement showing their support for Gunn following his dismissal from the franchise.
October 2018: Hired to Write and Direct "The Suicide Squad"
In October 2018, James Gunn was hired by Warner Bros. to write a new script for the DC Extended Universe film "The Suicide Squad" and to direct the film, following the departure of the previous director.
December 8, 2018: Trailer Release for "Brightburn" Features Gunn's Name
The first trailer for "Brightburn", which Gunn produced, was released on December 8, 2018, prominently featuring Gunn's name despite the controversy surrounding him.
January 2019: Confirmed to Direct "The Suicide Squad"
After being hired to write the script in October 2018, James Gunn was officially confirmed as the director of "The Suicide Squad" in January 2019.
March 2019: James Gunn Rehired for "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3"
Disney rehired James Gunn as director of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" in March 2019 after facing backlash for temporarily dismissing him due to controversial tweets.
March 2019: Reinstated as Director of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3"
Following a meeting with Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn, James Gunn was reinstated as the director for "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" in March 2019.
May 2019: "Brightburn" is Released in Theaters
The horror film "Brightburn", produced by James Gunn, premiered in theaters in May 2019.
2019: James Gunn Produces "Brightburn"
James Gunn produced the superhero-horror film "Brightburn," released in 2019.
October 2021: Production Begins on "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3"
After completing "The Suicide Squad", James Gunn began production on "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" in October 2021.
2021: James Gunn Directs "The Suicide Squad"
James Gunn directed "The Suicide Squad," released in 2021, expanding his filmography in the superhero genre.
February 2022: Gunn and Jennifer Holland Get Engaged
James Gunn and actress Jennifer Holland, who began dating in 2015, got engaged in February 2022.
September 2022: Gunn and Holland Marry
After getting engaged earlier in the year, James Gunn and Jennifer Holland were married at the end of September 2022.
November 1, 2022: Gunn and Safran Become Co-Chairpersons and CEOs of DC Studios
James Gunn and Peter Safran assumed the roles of co-chairpersons and CEOs of DC Studios, rebranded from DC Films, on November 1, 2022, giving them control over DC Comics film, animation, and television projects.
December 2022: Gunn Announces Superman Film
In December 2022, Gunn revealed he was working on a Superman film focused on the character's younger years.
2022: James Gunn and Peter Safran Appointed Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs of DC Studios
In 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery appointed James Gunn and Peter Safran as co-chairmen and co-CEOs of DC Studios, signaling a new era for the DC Universe.
2022: Gunn Adopts Dog, Oz
James Gunn adopted his dog, Oz, from a shelter in 2022.
January 2023: Gunn and Safran Reveal Plans for DC Universe
In January 2023, James Gunn and Peter Safran announced their plans for future DC Universe films, with the first chapter being titled "Gods and Monsters".
March 2023: Gunn Confirmed to Direct "Superman: Legacy"
In March 2023, it was announced that Gunn would also direct the Superman film, "Superman: Legacy", in addition to writing it.
2023: Release of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3"
James Gunn directed "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," released in 2023, concluding his involvement with the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise.
2023: Gunn Named PETA's Person of the Year
PETA named James Gunn their 2023 Person of the Year due to his promotion of pet adoption and his work on the CGI animals in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3".
2024: Release of "Creature Commandos," Directed by James Gunn
James Gunn directed the HBO Max original series "Creature Commandos," set to be released in 2024.
July 2025: "Superman: Legacy" Scheduled for Release
James Gunn's film about a young Superman, titled "Superman: Legacy", is scheduled to be released in July 2025.
2025: Release of James Gunn's "Superman"
James Gunn is set to write and direct a new "Superman" film, scheduled for release in 2025, marking his directorial debut in the DC Universe.