It has been almost a month since Guardians of the Galaxy fans woke up to the news of James Gunn's firing. The GotG director was fired from Disney-Marvel after a series of inappropriate tweets resurfaced online where he joked about rape and paedophilia.
While fans have been protesting by signing petitions and reaching out to Disney with the appeal to rehire the director, the production house is not rehiring Gunn to direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3.
According to a Variety report, Disney and Marvel are "standing by their decision to not reinstate him as helmer for the next instalment." The decision was taken after a meeting between Gunn and studio chairman Alan Horn.
The report also shared that while Gunn and his team tried hard to convince the studio, the meeting was organised out of "courtesy" intending to make things clear. The meeting has been described as "civil and professional."
The article also sheds light on Kevin Feige's thought on the situation. While the Marvel president was reportedly out of town and unable to attend the meeting, sources share that Feige did try to bring Gunn back. However, insiders also shared that Feige stands by the studio's decision to not rehire the director for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3.
It is believed that once Feige returns, Disney and Marvel will search for a new director. The shooting for the film is expected to begin in early 2019. He might not be the director but sources say that Marvel Studios is likely to use Gunn's original script. If the production house goes as per schedule, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 will release in 2020.
The final verdict comes a day after Chris Pratt told Associated Press that it is not an easy time for the franchise's cast and crew. "It's not an easy time. We all love James and he's a good friend of ours, but we also really love playing the Guardians of the Galaxy. It's a complicated situation for everybody. And you know, we just want to move forward and do what's right and be the best people we can be," he told the news outlet.
