In a redemption story worthy of an actual superhero movie, Disney and Marvel have reinstated James Gunn as the director of the upcoming Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 3, months after he was fired from the project.
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The director was ousted last July, after a series of his old Tweets containing jokes about rape and paedophilia resurfaced online. The stars of the film were not happy, with an angry Dave Bautista even threatening to walk away from the third film.
According to Deadline, the decision to re-hire James Gunn was actually made months ago, following conversations between him and studio bosses, including Walt Disney Studios head Alan Horn, who was convinced at the sincerity of his public apology and his subsequent conduct.
Gunn himself released a statement after the news was confirmed, saying:
“I am tremendously grateful to every person out there who has supported me over the past few months. I am always learning and will continue to work at being the best human being I can be. I deeply appreciate Disney’s decision and I am excited to keep making films that investigate the ties of love that bind us all. I have been and continue to be incredibly humbled by your love and support. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Love to you all.”
Marvel were rumoured to be considering other directors including Taika Waititi and Adam McKay for the third Guardians, but according to Deadline, they never actually met with or seriously considered any other filmmakers.
After his firing, Gunn signed on to direct the Suicide Squad sequel for DC, and he’ll still be doing this, meaning that production on Guardians 3 will be held over until he’s done.
