James Gunn Returns To Direct Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3

 

And it seems, sometimes, the rejects win after all.
Deadline reports Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn will return to direct the third film in the series, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Gunn was fired by Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn last July when ancient tweets of the “edgy” variety were co-opted by extreme right-wing websites to throw Gunn and Disney some negative press during Comic-Con International: San Diego; where Gunn was expected to promote his upcoming Sony production Brightburn.
Gunn previously apologized for his tweets, which made light of both pedophilia and rape, when he signed to direct the first Guardians film. As a victim of an unspecified attack at the hands of a priest in his younger days, the edgelord postings were something of a coping mechanism for Gunn, even as they were ill-advised. Nonetheless, Horn feared the bad press and summarily fired the director. Reportedly, he took this decision without consulting Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige. Feige stood by the chairman’s decision, though some reports indicated he tried to restore Gunn’s position through backchannel talks.
But by August, Gunn was discussing an exit deal with Disney. He was quickly scoped up by Warner Bros. Pictures, who assigned him to their struggling Suicide Squad sequel; which will soon be in production with Idris Elba in talks to play Deadshot.
According to Deadline, Horn and Gunn continued to sit down for talks, leading to the chairman’s decision to restore Gunn’s place at the helm of Guardians. With their new deal, Gunn will begin shooting Vol. 3 as soon as his commitment to The Suicide Squad is complete. Presumably, it will use the script he completed prior to the July uproar and reunite the surviving characters from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Avengers: Endgame. It will also conclude his long-term Gaurdians story.
While the film is not yet scheduled for release, expected after the 2021 debut of The Suicide Squad.