According to new reports, production of Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 is being put on hold as Marvel and Disney regroup following the firing of director James Gunn. Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the small group of crewmembers who were prepping for preproduction have been dismissed and are free to look for new work at this time. While Disney never officially set a release date for the film, a source confirms that the timeline has definitely shifted.
The project would be set for preproduction this fall until Gunn was let go when old controversial tweets surfaced in which he made jokes about rape and pedophilia. Although he previously apologized for the jokes, he issued another statement addressing the remarks, stating that they were bad attempts at being provocative in the nascence of his career.
“I have regretted them for many years since — not just because they were stupid, not at all funny, wildly insensitive, and certainly not provocative like I had hoped, but also because they don’t reflect the person I am today or have been for some time,” Gunn said. “Regardless of how much time has passed, I understand and accept the business decisions taken today. Even these many years later, I take full responsibility for the way I conducted myself then.”
Since his firing, fans and cast members have led a campaign voicing their disdain for the decision, with a petition for Gunn’s reinstatement reaching nearly 400,000 signatures while cast mates Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, Sean Gunn, Vin Diesel, Pom Klementieff and Michael Rooker all signed an open letter calling for Gunn’s reinstatement.
“We are not here to defend his jokes of many years ago but rather to share our experience having spent many years together on set making ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ 1 and 2,” the cast members stated. “The character he has shown in the wake of his firing is consistent with the man he was every day on set, and his apology, now and from years ago when first addressing these remarks, we believe is from the heart, a heart we all know, trust and love.”