Ever since James Gunn was fired by Disney due to the resurfacing of some offensive tweets of his, there’s been a lot of theorizing about who could replace him in the director’s chair for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. And though Marvel has yet to settle on a replacement, two celebrated filmmakers have now given their own suggestion for who would be the best bet to helm the threequel.
It all started when one Marvel fan suggested that they’d like to see Edgar Wright (Baby Driver), Phil Lord and Chris Miller (The LEGO Movie) or Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok) take over on the project. Wright, who previously almost helmed Ant-Man, replied with his own suggestion that Gunn should come back to finish what he started.
I'd like to throw in this suggestion too: @JamesGunn
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) January 28, 2019
Chris Miller then joined in the conversation and joked about why Gunn would be right for the job. “He’d be a good fit, tonally,” Miller quipped.
He would be a good fit tonally
— Christopher Miller (@chrizmillr) January 28, 2019
It seems that many in the industry support Gunn over this matter, believing that his past jokes – though totally unfunny and inappropriate – were written long before he was hired by Marvel and don’t reflect the kind of person he is today. The whole Guardians cast certainly side with their original director, too, and even signed an open letter calling for Disney to rehire him. However, word has it that Marvel president Kevin Feige supports Disney’s decision, so it doesn’t sound like there’s any chance that Gunn will return.
It’s expected that the script he wrote for Vol. 3 before his dismissal will still be used though once a correct replacement’s found. We already know that Marvel approached Anchorman‘s Adam McKay, but he turned them down. Other reports say a female director could be hired, with S.J. Clarkson (Star Trek 4), Jane Campion (Top of the Lake) and Michelle McLaren (Game of Thrones) said to be on the shortlist.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will no longer meet its 2020 release date, with the MCU only putting out two movies that year instead. Rumors say they’ll be Black Widow and Doctor Strange 2, but that remains unconfirmed for the time being. As soon as we learn more, though, we’ll be sure to let you know.