Breaking News. Disney and Marvel Studios have reversed their decision and reinstated James Gunn as director of their upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The news comes from official resources like Deadline and Hollywood Reporter lest you doubt the authenticity of the sources.
In case you’re out of touch with the controversy, James Gunn was fired last year by Disney over years old tweets. Gunn had already apologized for those tweets years ago but Disney got caught in a political setup and fired Gunn, probably to appease cynics given the sensitive situation. Since then, there’s been largely silence around both camps with Disney & Marvel searching for a new director (although not as hard) as Warner Bros. swooped in and hired Gunn to direct The Suicide Squad. Taika Waititi and Adam McKay were rumored as potential directors at different points but none were close to picking up the deal.
Fans meanwhile rallied behind the director, kickstarting the hashtag #RehireJamesGunn and launching online petitions to bring Gunn back. Even the cast came out in support of James Gunn, penning and signing a heartfelt letter. It now appears that all of that shouting from the rooftops didn’t fall on deaf years. Walt Disney Studios President Alan Horn apparently met with Gunn multiple times over the course of the last few months since his firing and was rather impressed with Gunn’s handling of the situation including his public apology. Eventually, Horn decided to reverse the decision and bring James Gunn back for Guardians of the Galaxy.
Although Marvel and Gunn haven’t issued any official statements on this regard (and are unlikely to for a while), Gunn is officially back on board as things stand and I couldn’t be happier. Before he was removed, Gunn was working hard on the script, even considering Mark Hamill for a role in the movie. And he wrote one tearjerker of a script which was so good that Marvel Studios planned on using it with or without Gunn anyway.
The big question now is, can Guardians 3 be fast-tracked for a Summer 2020 release? That seems highly unlikely since Gunn is more than likely to be tied up with The Suicide Squad set for release the next year. But regardless, he’s bound to return back and finish the movie series he started and so well defined. And in the process, James Gunn will become the first MCU director to have finished a trilogy of movies.
Time to get Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 development back on track. I’m Hooked Onto A Feeling. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
