Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 delayed.

Reports are starting to circulate that production on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has been put on hold with no definitive timeframe as to when filming will be put back on track.

The Hollywood Reporter states that no decision has been made as to when filming will now start and that select crew members who were already beginning pre-production steps ahead of an early 2019 shoot, have been let go and set free to pursue other projects.

Earlier reports this month stated that director James Gunn may even be re-hired by Disney after his recent firing due to controversial tweets from several years ago were brought to the public’s attention but Disney chairman Alan Horn has now stated that Gunn will not be rehired as director. It’s unknown at this time whether the production will continue with Gunn’s finished script being used or whether a new writer will be brought on board. There has also been no indication as to who will take over directorial duties on the sequel.

The movie was expected to begin production early next year with eyes set on a May 2020 release date, but this timeline hadn’t officially been announced by Disney prior to the Gunn controversy.

One of THR’s sources described the move as a “regrouping” for the studio, and putting the film on hold allows for some breathing room in figuring out what comes next. Prior to Gunn being fired, he described the movie as setting up the next 10-20 years of MCU adventures and it was generally thought that The Eternals were going to get set up in Guardians 3.

This of course is a sign that Disney know how vital it is to get this third movie right as it will perhaps find itself under more scrutiny than usual with Gunn’s dismissal angering many MCU fans. There’s also the question of whether one of the cast will stand good on his promise, with Dave Bautista who plays Drax The Destroyer, recently announcing publicly, that should Gunn’s script not be used, he would ask to be released from his contractual commitments to complete a third film in support of his friend.

Recently it was reported that Disney still planned on using Gunn’s script, but if the news of this delay in production is correct, it may signal that this isn’t the case anymore.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter/Screen Rant