We hate to be the bearers of bad news, but unfortunately, Disney has put their foot down, deciding not to rehire James Gunn for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
That’s the latest from Variety, who report that the director and his management team met with Disney’s Alan Horn earlier this week to discuss the possibility of him returning to close out his trilogy. While the meeting was apparently “civil and professional,” Horn wouldn’t budge and refused to give Gunn another chance.
Sources say Marvel’s Kevin Feige was out of town and thus, unable to attend the meeting. And though he was one of the key players pushing for Disney to rehire Gunn, he ultimately stands by the studio’s decision and respects it. From what we understand, once the super producer’s back in Los Angeles, the search for a new director will commence and though Variety isn’t sure whether this will push back production, it’s likely that it will.
As for the script, sources still believe that Gunn’s original screenplay will be used, but neither Disney nor Marvel have commented on the situation just yet. That being said, we can’t imagine they’ll throw out his work, lest they risk a full-on riot from fans – and Dave Bautista.
So, it’s an incredibly sad day then, with James Gunn now officially not allowed back to finish off the trilogy he gave birth to. And while many will ultimately stand by Disney, believing they did the right thing, it’s still hard not to feel a tinge of sadness over the fact that the director won’t be the one calling the shots for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
No matter where you sit in regards to whether or not he should’ve been given another chance, you can’t deny that he was a crucial part of the success of Star-Lord and co. and we just can’t imagine the threequel reaching the same heights as its predecessors without him.