Production on the troubled Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 3 has been put on hold, as Marvel and Disney try to figure out the future of the series after the firing of director James Gunn.
The Hollywood Reporter says that a small crew had been assembled and were preparing to begin pre-production on the film, with principal photography set to kick off in January or February.
A source close to the film says that the crew members in question have been dismissed, and told that they are free to look for work elsewhere.
James Gunn was fired from his directing duties in July, following a controversy when some of his old Tweets resurfaced.
There was a push to re-hire him, with the stars of the Guardians series expressing their dismay at the situation, but Disney appears to have ruled out the possibility of bringing him back.
Marvel and Disney are reportedly in the process of “regrouping” and looking for a new director for the film, and with no release date yet set, they may take their time.
Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi is one popular choice to replace Gunn, and he recently met with studio bosses, although it’s unclear what projects were discussed.
Gunn himself has apologised for the Tweets, saying that they were a “failed and unfortunate attempt to be provocative” and he regrets them.
