Steven Spielberg Was Accidentally Responsible For Creating His Favorite Superhero Movie

Steven Spielberg has previously named his favorite superhero movie, which he inadvertently influenced throughout its production. In an interview with Deadline Hollywood, James Gunn revealed that Steven Spielberg named Guardians of the Galaxy as his favorite superhero movie ever. Ironically, earlier in the interview, Gunn noted how Steven Spielberg played a pivotal role in Guardians of the Galaxy‘s production.

The Marvel Cinematic Universehas had several sterling installments throughout the MCU timeline. James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy was one of the franchise’s most successful, influencing numerous subsequent entries and the trajectory of the MCU’s future. While Spielberg is by far not the only filmmaker to sing the movie’s praises, his compliments do carry more weight based on the impact he inadvertently had on the MCU movie and its own director.

How Steven Spielberg Helped Create Guardians Of The Galaxy

The first movie Gunn recalled as a major influence on his career as a filmmaker was Steven Spielberg’s Raiders of the Lost Ark. In an archived interview with Total Film, Gunn suggested that “there is probably no film that influenced me more as a child – no film that excited me more or that I loved more – than Raiders Of The Lost Ark. It not only influences how I see Guardians, it influences how I live my life.”

Evidently, Raiders of the Lost Ark shaped Gunn’s approach to filmmaking, particularly while making Guardians of the Galaxy. There are certainly a lot of similarities between the movies’ iconic leading men, the narratives’ non-stop action, and the use of off-beat humor. Christ Pratt’s Star-Lord references Raiders during the opening scene, cementing the legendary movie’s role. Gunn also named Spielberg’s Jaws as an inspirational movie from his childhood that has impacted his career. The legendary director Steven Spielberg seemingly influenced Gunn and Guardians of the Galaxy, which makes Spielberg’s love for the movie all the more consequential.

Why Guardians Of The Galaxy Is Steven Spielberg’s Favorite Superhero Movie

Steven Spielberg named Guardians of the Galaxy as his absolute favorite superhero movie in 2016. The esteemed director chose Gunn’s initial installment over Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight and the MCU’s Iron Man, stating that he was most impressed with Guardians of the Galaxy as, “When it ended, I left the cinema with the feeling that I had just experienced something new, free of cynicism and without concern for being gritty when necessary” (via ComicBook).

The famed tone Gunn established in Guardians of the Galaxy won over many audiences, and evidently Spielberg himself. Upon hearing this, Gunn was reportedly moved to tears by this news, overwhelmed that the director he revered so much would praise his movie. With the enormous influence Steven Spielberg has had on Gunn’s career and Guardians of the Galaxy, it’s easy to understand why Gunn was bowled over by this news, which produced a fascinatingly unique cinematic circumstance.

Sources: Deadline Hollywood, Total Film, ComicBook

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