GUNN’S LOCKED & LOADED

Last July, James Gunn was fired from the directorial position of the upcoming MCU film and third “Guardians of The Galaxy” franchise due to past controversial tweets. His abrupt firing caused much uproar from fans, the media, other MCU directors including Scott Derrickson and Taika Waititi, and the cast of “Guardians of The Galaxy 3” signed a statement released to the public criticizing the decision from Disney Chairman Alan Horne. Dave Bautista, better known as Drax in the two “Guardians of The Galaxy” films, was the most vocal out of those that signed the statement. It was ultimately decided that Gunn;s original script would be used but he would not return to direct. Rumors had circulated on who would replace gunn. Two names that came up frequently were Taika Waititi (“Thor: Ragnarok,” “The Hunt for The Wilderpeople”) and Adam McKay (“Vice,” “The Other Guys”). Some speculated that Edgar Wright (“Hot Fuzz,” “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World”) would step up and direct. In the months following, Warner Bros. had announced that Gunn was hired to work on the “Suicide Squad” sequel (which has now been deemed a “total reboot” by the studio). For many, that seemed to be the end of the relationship between Gunn and Marvel. However, in a shock twist, it was announced last Friday, March 15, that Gunn has been reinstated to direct “Guardians of The Galaxy 3” once he has finished working on “The Suicide Squad.” Deadline broke the headline and was later confirmed by Disney. “Guardians of The Galaxy 3” is set to be released in 2021.