James Gunn might just get a chance to close out his trilogy.
The former shepherd of Marvel’s cosmic universe – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 included – was abruptly fired on July 20th when a number of shocking and inappropriate tweets resurfaced.
Amid the fallout, the core Guardians cast released a joint statement in defense of Gunn, with Dave Bautista even going so far as to say that he’ll exit the Marvel Cinematic Universe if Marvel selects another script over James Gunn’s. But Drax fans needn’t sweat, as yesterday, we heard that the studio will likely be sticking with the words Gunn wrote. Not only that, but they may actually bring him back to direct the pic.
We should stress that this is in no way a done deal just yet, but Deadline’s reporting that “back channel conversations are taking place between Marvel Studios and Disney,” with the former trying to persuade the latter to find a “compromise that might bring Gunn back into the fold for Guardians 3, something that clearly would be best for the franchise.” As the outlet notes, it’s a long shot and might not work, but it seems there’s still a chance that the filmmaker will return for the threequel.
You can definitely see how this would be to the studio’s benefit, too. After all, Gunn was expected to be the custodian of the cosmic side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe moving forward, so his role in the franchise was only going to increase. To cut him out entirely would surely be a hit to the MCU and no doubt make for a rocky couple of years as the studio struggles to rearrange their plans.
That said, there’s the public reaction to keeping Gunn on that Marvel would have to consider, as those that find his old tweets offensive won’t be pleased that Disney’s continuing to associate with him. Still, with each passing day, it’s looking like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is closer to getting its original director back, and as this saga continues to unfold, we’ll be sure to keep you posted every step of the way.
