For a while there, it looked like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was going to be left on indefinite hiatus after director James Gunn was fired by Disney last summer due to a Twitter controversy. However, in a shocking move, the Mouse House rehired the filmmaker to helm the Marvel threequel movie earlier this month, a decision that was generally met with widespread support from fans.
Likewise, the Guardians themselves were clearly pleased by the rehiring, as many of them posted messages on social media. However, none of them have publicly commented on the situation since. Until now, that is.
Gamora actress Zoe Saldana is the first to break silence as she was asked by ET Online for her thoughts on Gunn’s reinstatement. Though she didn’t say much, the star revealed that she’s “proud” of both Gunn and Disney for making what she feels to be the right choice.
“I’m proud of him. I’m happy that he’s coming back. I’m so proud of Disney, actually, that all the leaders right now behind that big corporation decided to lead by example, and spreading the word and the message of redemption is important.”
Following Gunn’s firing in July 2018, Saldana, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista and the rest of the cast signed an open letter calling for the studio to reverse the move. At first, it seemed their letter hadn’t had any impact, as Disney CEO Alan Horn continued to stand by his decision. Reports have stated that Horn met with Gunn again following the firing, however, and was impressed with the director’s conduct. This was enough to convince him that the filmmaker deserved a second chance and the result was Guardians 3 being back in the works.
Not that it’ll be here too soon, though. At the moment, Gunn’s working on The Suicide Squad for DC. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is then expected to shoot in early 2021, before it hits cinemas in either 2022 or 2023.