'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3': Kevin Feige Says Marvel Has Been Focusing on Other Projects

In the months since Disney fired James Gunn from directing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, fans have been curious about how Marvel Studios would move forward with the project. While Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed that Gunn's script would still be utilized for the sequel, he also admitted that it wasn't the studio's current priority.

"I mean, when it was pushed back, it was pushed back," Feige shared with Collider. "Meaning the release date, because it's not coming out—although we've never announced a release date actually, but it was gonna happen sooner rather than later, initially of course. Outside of knowing that we're gonna use [James Gunn's] draft, [we have] been focusing on other projects."

Gunn directed the first two films in the saga and was attached to direct the third, landing sometime in 2020, though when obscene jokes he made earlier in his career surfaced on social media, Disney parted ways with the filmmaker as to avoid controversy. The filmmaker's career is far from over, as he has been tapped to write and potentially direct The Suicide Squad for the DC Extended Universe.

Disney has yet to find a replacement for Gunn, though we wouldn't be surprised if a third film serves as more of a reboot than a continuation of the first two films. Like many other of Marvel's superhero teams, various heroes have been members of the Guardians of the Galaxy, so this could be the opportunity to reinvent the concept somewhere down the line.

Complicating matters is the frequent comments from Guardians star Dave Bautista, who regularly expresses his frustrations with Disney's decisions, yet hasn't officially denounced the Marvel Cinematic Universe, possibly as not to complicate his contract and his commitments to the franchise.

"There is little due process in the court of public opinion," the cast shared in a joint statement following Gunn's firing. "James is likely not the last good person to be put on trial. Given the growing political divide in this country, it's safe to say instances like this will continue, although we hope Amercians from across the political spectrum can ease up on the character assassinations and stop weaponizing mob mentality."

"It is our hope that what has transpired can serve as an example for all of us to realize the enormous responsibility we have to ourselves and to each other regarding the use of our written words when we etch them in digital stone," it continued. "That we as a society may learn from this experience and in the future will think twice before we decide what we want to express; and in so learning perhaps can harness this capability to help and heal instead of hurting each other. Thank you for taking the time to read our words."

Stay tuned for details on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

What do you think of Feige's remarks? Let us know in the comments below!

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