While it really should’ve come as a surprise to no one, Marvel halted production on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 earlier today and although the irreverent supergroup won’t be headed in front of the camera anytime soon, Kevin Feige might’ve already started the search for James Gunn’s replacement.
Last week, despite talk that the House of Mouse might consider reinstating the filmmaker, The Walt Disney Company put their foot down and reportedly not only was Feige supportive of the ruling, but is also said to be spearheading the search for a new director once back in Los Angeles. Well, evidently, he’s back in the Golden State now.
According to Variety, Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi recently met with Marvel, though it’s unclear what project the two parties discussed. Granted, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is where your mind would intrinsically wander, but taking into consideration that Doctor Strange 2 is believed to be commencing production next spring, and what with Marvel gearing up for Phase Four, the Wellington, New Zealand native could be headed anywhere.
Of course, this isn’t the first time that the man behind What We Do In The Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople has been rumored to be taking over for Gunn. Earlier this month, there were rumblings that Waititi, alongside Jon Favreau (Iron Man) and Joe and Anthony Russo (Avengers: Infinity War), would be taking over Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
All in all, I suppose it does make sense that Marvel would be interested in bringing back Waititi. After all, they do have a history of bringing back successful personnel, and Thor: Ragnarok was no slouch at the box office, earning $853 million worldwide on a budget of roughly $180 million. Regardless, all we can do right now is speculate, but Taika Waititi being back in the MCU – no matter which film it’s for – can only be a good thing.