Kevin Feige Says Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Is Still Happening

The controversial firing of James Gunn has left Marvel Studios with a bit of a mess on their hands when it comes to the planned Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. As well as being the cause for some heavy backlash from fans and industry insiders alike, Gunn’s dismissal from the project has prompted the studio to put the follow-up to 2017’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 on hold, and in the months since the incident, we’ve had no official indication of when the movie might be going into production. But while the next standalone outing from Star-Lord and his peers is presumably still a long wait away, producer Kevin Feige has at least offered his assurances that the film is still on the agenda.

The Marvel Studios head was on the red carpet at last night’s Golden Globe Awards when he was asked by MTV News about the status of the third Guardians flick, prompting Feige to offer a vague but optimistic answer:

“Guardians will happen — when, where, or how… [that’s] for a later time.”

Based on various reports from recent months, Marvel is currently looking for a director to replace Gunn at the helm for Vol. 3, with such notable names as Mudbound director Dee Rees and Bumblebee’s Travis Knight rumored to be on the studio’s shortlist. Vice helmsman and Ant-Man cowriter Adam McKay even claimed a few weeks ago to have been approached by Feige for the project, but as this new year gets underway, a name has yet to be confirmed.

But while Marvel may still be looking for Gunn’s replacement, the filmmaker himself has found work as the writer and possible director of the DCEU’s Suicide Squad 2, and from the sound of things, Feige has no hard feelings about Warner Bros. snatching the filmmaker up for their own superhero saga.

“I went to see Aquaman last night and I really, really enjoyed it. I’ve always supported [DC movies]. I don’t see a rivalry. I see cool films being made and one you thing you know about James Gunn, he makes cool films.”

At this rate, there’s a distinct possibility that Gunn’s Suicide Squad sequel will be arriving in theaters before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but in the meantime, Marvel Studios’ next couple of years are looking busy enough already.