It appears that Marvel Studios isn’t keen on turningGuardians of the Galaxy 3into anotherAnt-Man-like race to the finish line. A month after writer/directorJames Gunnwas fired off the film following the unearthing of some of Gunn’s very old, very stupid tweets by an alt-right conspiracy theorist,THRreports that Marvel Studios has putGuardians of the Galaxy 3on hold, telling the small group of crew members who were prepping for pre-production that they are now released from their contracts and free to look for work elsewhere.
Marvel is by no means scrappingGuardians 3altogether, but this signals that the studio will be taking its time in finding the right way forward for the project. Pre-production was set to begin this fall ahead of filming beginning in either January or February, but those plans have now been scuttled. So, too, has Marvel’s targeted release date for the film, and while the studio had yet to officially set aGuardians of the Galaxy 3release date, most assumed the film would be dropping in the May 2020 slot that Marvel has staked out for an untitled film.
While a large number of fans and, more importantly,the film’s casthad been pushing Disney to re-hire Gunn, that prospect is now firmly off the table after a meeting Gunn had with Disney presidentAlan Hornlast month, where the Disney exec reiterated his position. There were even rumblings that even Marvel Studios presidentKevin Feigewas lobbying Horn to re-hire Gunn, but it’s now become clear thatGuardians of the Galaxy 3will be moving forward without the franchise’s creator at the helm.
So who will take Gunn’s place? THR notes thatThor: RagnarokdirectorTaika Waititirecently had a meeting with Marvel, but it’s unknown what was discussed. It’s possible Waititi was there to talk about anotherThormovie, a different Marvel movie, or simply just to discuss openly potential future projects. Right now,no oneis reporting that Waititi is in line to take the helm ofGuardians of the Galaxy 3, but if you absolutely have to make the best of a bad situation, Waititi would be a swell choice to step in.
Of course the other issue is which filmmakers will feel comfortable taking over the project. WhenEdgar WrightleftAnt-Manover creative differences, it left Marvel scrambling to find a new director with a cast, filming dates, and a release date already set. Some filmmakers felt it would be unfair to Wright to take over a project he himself had created.Guardians of the Galaxy 3is a bit of a different situation, but it’s still going to be hard for Gunn to watch someone else close out the trilogy of what was a deeply personal franchise for the filmmaker.
Earlier reports said Marvelstill intends on using Gunn’s screenplayforGuardians of the Galaxy 3, but basically everything’s up in the air now that Marvel has decided to put the film on hold. It’s possible they start from scratch with a new screenwriter, it’s possible they bring someone on to polish Gunn’s script to make it more in line with the vision of the new filmmaker, or (and this is highly unlikely) it’s possible Marvel just never moves forward withGuardians 3at all. The franchise is incredibly valuable and lucrative for Disney so that doesn’t seem like arealpossibility, but speaking as a fan I’d rather see this franchise just end with Gunn’sGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2than see it brought to a close without Gunn.
THR says one person characterized the production halt as “temporary” and more of a “regrouping” so this thing could potentially kick back up in the next few months. Marvel is being incredibly tight-lipped about what’s next afterAvengers 4so as to maintain the integrity ofInfinity War’s death-filled ending, but we knowSpider-Man: Far From Homeis filming right now and theBlack Widowspinoffhas a director, so there are a few hints here and there as to what’s next.
As forGuardians of the Galaxy 3, we know one thing for sure: The sequel isn’t being rushed to hit a targeted production start-date. Marvel and Disney are taking their time, which is probably a smart move.
