As one of the co-writers of Ant-Man, Vice director Adam McKay has already dipped a toe into the MCU, but earlier this year, it seems the filmmaker had the opportunity to go all the way as James Gunn’s replacement at the helm of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
McKay has already had an unusual arc in his directorial career, making his name on popular comedies like Anchorman and Step Brothers before transitioning into more Academy-friendly pictures like The Big Short. What’s more, the Oscar-winner could’ve added another string to his bow when Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige approached him to work on the third Guardians movie, or even Inhumans, telling the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast the following:
“We’ve talked a little bit. Yeah. We were kicking around the idea of the Inhumans at one point. We’re always kind of talking. I think Feige is just the greatest and what they’re doing is amazing.”
After the widely rejected Inhumans TV show failed to make it past its first season, Marvel Studios might want to let those characters cool off for a while before they make a second attempt at bringing them to our screens.
As for Guardians 3, it’s nice to get a little insight on a project that’s been looking pretty stationary for much of the year. With his combination of awards clout and comedic chops, you can see why Marvel regarded McKay as an appealing candidate to take over from Gunn, though reports also allege that the studio has been eyeing the likes of Bumblebee helmsman Travis Knight, Top of the Lake‘s Jane Campion, and Mudbound director Dee Rees.
But whoever Marvel ends up settling on for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, it’ll likely be a long wait before we get to see the results.