Disney Stands Their Ground On Firing James Gunn From GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3

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I find it hard to believe that it’s almost been a month since James Gunn was fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Frankly the Gunn News Rollercoaster has been a rather insane experience. From the main cast of the franchise jointly releasing a letter asking Disney to rehire Gunn to Dave Bautista threatening to leave the film altogether if Gunn’s script isn’t used, MCU fans have seen quite a few turns over the past month. Which is why, for better or worse, I’m personally relieved that the ride appears to be coming to a close.

Variety reports that Disney has decided to remain firm on their decision to remove Gunn from the director’s chair, following a “courteous” meeting between the filmmaker and studio chairman Alan Horn. According to the site, Gunn and his UTA representatives “pushed hard for him to be given a second chance,” while Horn wanted to “clear the air” with Gunn. The site wrote: “Though the meeting was described as civil and professional, sources say that Horn stood by his decision to not reinstate Gunn as director.”

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige was reportedly “out of town” at the time of the meeting Variety adds that while Feige was rumored to be pushing for Gunn’s reinstatement, their sources say that the acclaimed producer “stands by” Disney’s decision not to rehire the director.

Once Feige returns, Disney and Marvel Studios will continue searching for a new director to helm the third Guardians film. As for the existing Gunn-penned script, the site reports that while Disney and Marvel plan to still use it, it is “still very likely that whoever is brought in will still need to put a polish on it in order to add their stamp to the project.”

As sad as this news might be to a number of fans, I personally think confirmation that Gunn’s script will be kept is probably the best result we could realistically get. Despite the ulterior political agenda that fueled the initial push for Gunn’s firing, Disney still has to maintain their “family friendly” image. Once Gunn was actually fired, there were very few ways the company could have handled the situation without easily running the risk of making things worse.

On the bright side, Gunn is now a highly desired talent for rival studios in Hollywood. While it may be a few months before fans hear any updates, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Gunn lands a gig at Warner Bros to helm an upcoming DCU film. While the obvious pick would probably be Green Lantern Corps, I think Gunn would be a killer fit for a Booster Gold film.

What do you think of these latest developments? Do you wish Gunn was reinstated? What are you hoping his next project will be? Be sure to leave a comment below!

SOURCE: Variety