Marvel Reportedly Eyeing 'Bumblebee' Director to Helm 'Guardians of the Galaxy 3'

It looks like Marvel's search for James Gunn's replacement continues, as the studio has apparently added a name to its shortlist of directors to take over Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

According to a report from The DisInsider, Marvel is eyeing Bumblebee helmer Travis Knight for the next Guardians installment. Sources indicate that Knight was one of the finalists to direct The Eternals for Marvel Studios, but the job ultimately went to Chloe Zhao. Ever since passing on Knight for that film, Marvel has been determined to get him on their roster, and it sounds as though Guardians could be the best fit.

Before taking on Bumblebee, the first Transformers spinoff film, Knight was best known for his work with animated movies. He produced The Boxtrolls, ParaNorman, and Coraline for Laika Studios. He then went on to direct his first feature film for the very same studio, Kubo and the Two Strings, which earned him an Academy Award nomination in 2017.

While the Transformers franchise has long been helmed by Michael Bay, and received a consistent thrashing from critics, Bumblebee looks to be a major change of pace for the series. The film is much more grounded with a significantly smaller budget. Reports suggest that early screenings have been very positive about the movie, and Marvel brass was impressed with Knight after seeing what he was able to do.

At this point, Knight hasn't been offered the job by Marvel, nor have their been any serious discussions. It simply sounds like the studio is keen on Knight becoming a part of the MCU moving forward.

Nothing is really known about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 yet, other than the fact that Gunn won't be the director. After being fired from Disney for a series of old tweets, Gunn was removed from the franchise, though Marvel will likely use the script he had already completed. Production on the film was delayed indefinitely, and there has been no indication from Marvel when it could actually begin.

Do you think Travis Knight would be a solid fit for the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise? Who else should be on Marvel's shortlist? Let us know in the comments!