With the recent firing of James Gunn (due to insensitive jokes made in poor taste on Twitter a decade ago) it was thought that Disney would need to move forward quickly to acquire a replacement director for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, as filming was supposed to begin early next year.
However, recent reports suggest that Disney is in no hurry nor feels pressure to act hastily here. The studio hasn’t met with any potential replacements for Gunn yet, and is willing to push back the filming schedule as the movie does not have as official release date.
While some fans have recommended Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok) or the Russo brothers (Avengers: Infinity War) to replace Gunn, they may be busy with other projects so Disney is likely to look outside of Marvel for an A-list director with the same kind of off-beat sensibility to handle the comic-book franchise.
Speculation also suggests that some of the actors might consider dropping out of the film. The entire cast of the movie has taken to social media to support Gunn. Chris Pratt released a joint letter on Instagram to affirm their allegiance to their fallen comrade, urging all within their sphere of influence to forgive him and take the comments in the context of the man they know today, and for a reinstatement of the director to his former position.
But with most of the cast under contract, they are obligated to show up for future MCU installments regardless of their personal feelings about Gunn. Failure to do so would result in the studio taking legal action, or the actors paying a hefty contract buy-out fee.
Other MCU heavyweights have chosen to distance themselves from the situation.
Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr and Tom Holland have unfollowed James Gunn on Twitter.
Why is this big deal? It’s simple – in 2018 Twitter follows are social currency and fans, followers, and even reporters feel justified in using them to validate rumors, hearsay, and forecasts regarding the movie industry. And after Disney fired James Gunn from his position as the director of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 many actresses, actors, and public figures have taken a long, introspective look at their social media history in addition to trying Gunn’s prior actions in a public forum.
Many onlookers consider the “unfollows” on social media to be a reaffirmation of Disney’s position on Gunn as they may have quietly instructed their top actors and actresses to distance themselves from the director. Or it may be just conjecture. After all, Hemsworth, Evans, Downey Jr. and Holland have never directly worked with Gunn and may have either separately or jointly decided to avoid getting caught in the cross-fire of a controversial issue in their realm of work. And, it is just a Twitter follow.
But one thing is certain: The puppet master of Guardians of the Galaxy does not have the support of the Avengers.
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