Though writer-director James Gunn was fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, there’s a chance he could rejoin the Marvel Cinematic Universe for another film.
A new report from The Hollywood Reporter suggests Gunn is being sought out by a number of studios and producers following his expected departure from Disney and Marvel. One industry source revealed that they’d love the chance to work with Gunn, but can’t extend any offers yet. Gunn is still technically on contract with Disney and won’t be free to look elsewhere until exit negotiators are finished.
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Nevertheless, two sources who spoke to THR said there is some hope within Disney and Marvel to find a way to keep Gunn on-board. One exec claimed that, while Disney had fired Gunn from Guardians of the Galaxy, that wasn’t an end-all verdict on a potential working relationship. There’s reportedly still a chance Disney could offer Gunn another spot at Marvel in an attempt to keep him from going over to the competition. According to THR’s source, “An end-all verdict hasn’t been issued and conversations with Marvel are still ongoing.”
Warner Bros. and DC especially are reportedly interested in recruiting Gunn if he were to part ways with Disney. They even reportedly sought him out in the past, although he passed on the project.
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Gunn was fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 on July 20 after a number of offensive jokes he’d tweeted almost a decade ago resurfaced. The tweets made light of offensive topics, such as rape and pedophilia. While Gunn had already apologized for his attempts at shock humor, Disney still decided not to rehire him, even after a massive campaign to reinstate him. Despite this, the stars of Guardians of the Galaxy have spoken out about the termination, and some have even threatened to leave the franchise if Gunn’s script isn’t used.
Disney, Marvel and representatives for James Gunn have declined to comment on the story as it develops.
