“How will they get out of this mess?”
That question – or some variation thereof – was on virtually every Marvel fan’s mind at the start of the summer, thanks to the stunning conclusion of ‘Avengers: Infinity War‘. By the end of summer, though we were all still asking the same thing, but for very different reasons.
This time around, the question was in response to the sudden firing of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ director James Gunn, just as the third ‘Guardians’ film was preparing to start production. Gunn’s dismissal, which came after right-wing Twitter personalities dug up decade-old tweets in which the director posted numerous controversial jokes, set off a firestorm in fandom, including a social media campaign (whose supporters include virtually the entire cast) dedicated to encouraging his reinstatement. But while Disney seems to have tacitly acknowledged that they may have jumped the gun in firing Gunn, there has yet to be any official statement regarding either Gunn’s future (if indeed he has one) with the studio or the status of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’, which was put on hold about a month after Gunn’s firing.
Of course, Gunn hadn’t just been charged with directing the film, but writing it as well. And even if he is destined not to returns to the director’s chair, the use of his script has emerged as something of a sticking point among the cast. In particular, Dave Bautista made some very public threats to walk away from the film if Gunn’s script is abandoned. And while things were looking good on that front, things have been all quiet on the ‘Guardians’ front ever since the film’s delay was announced. So much so that some had begun to worry that the ‘Guardians 3′ had in fact been quietly cancelled.
With that being the case, Marvel fans can take some comfort in a recent (and characteristically vague) update from Sean Gunn. As the younger brother of James, Sean Gunn has been inextricably tied to the Guardians’ cinematic outings, both appearing as the Ravager Kraglin and serving as the on-set stand-in for Rocket. Speaking to Tulsa World, Gunn confirmed that while he knows little more than the rest of us about the current state of affair, the Guardians aren’t finished yet.
“I don’t really know yet what’s going on with ‘Guardians 3’. I know that Disney still wants to make the movie. I know that they have every intention of using the script that my brother wrote. Obviously that was a very unfortunate situation for everybody, most of all him, but I am also somebody who had been preparing to spend half a year making that movie and now that’s up in the air.”
“Obviously I think it’s a tricky proposition for them to find another director to step in – and also the scheduling of a lot of other actors who are incredibly busy can’t be easy. But I know they plan on making the movie. I had not been contacted at all for a while, but I was recently contacted by Marvel saying, “Yeah, we do plan to make this movie. We’re just not sure when.””
And what of the younger Gunn’s involvement with future Marvel films? While Rocket was seen to have survived the climax of ‘Infinity War’, Kraglin was absent from the film entirely, leaving his fate entirely up in the air. Of his character’s fate, Gunn could only say this:
“I think I can say this: I don’t think Kraglin’s story is finished yet. I think the fans will, at least, get to know what happens with Kraglin, even though I can’t share that right now.”
Be sure to check back with ScienceFiction.com for more news on ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ and other upcoming Marvel films as it becomes available.
