A new listing in Production Weekly has revealed Marvel’s third installment of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise may not begin filming for over two years past the projects original start date.
According to the report, production on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 is scheduled to begin February 2021. Originally the film was set to begin shooting this upcoming January with director James Gunn returning to once again helm the project from a script he wrote. However, Gunn’s exit from the franchise after the surfacing of controversial and offensive tweets he sent out as far back as 2009 resulted in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 being put on hold, with the crew being released while the studio regroups to find a new director to helm the film.
Although the film did not have an official release date but was expected to arrive in theaters in 2020, a two-year delay in production would signal the film’s release as early as 2022. Marvel and Disney reportedly still plan on using the script Gunn wrote for the film but the director’s return for the third installment has been ruled out by the studio. Gunn has since moved on from Marvel, jumping ship over to Warner Bros. as he was recently revealed to be writing the long-in-development Suicide Squad sequel with an eye to direct for DC Films.
While the cast is expected to return for the third Guardians film, Drax actor Dave Bautista has said that he would drop out of the film should Disney opt not to use Gunn’s script. The WWE superstar turned actor has been one of Gunn’s most vocal supporters since the director was fired, launching a campaign with the rest of the cast to persuade Disney to reconsider their decision. The actor was recently revealed to be eyeing a return to the WWE in light of the project’s delay.
Stay tuned to Heroic Hollywood for the latest news on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 and the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as we learn it.
Source: Production Weekly
