Disney Reinstates James Gunn as Director of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

Just when we thought that James Gunn was completely out of the Guardians of the Galaxy picture for good, a huge turn of events happens.

You may recall that Disney terminated Gunn back in July of last year after old tweets with offensive content resurfaced on his Twitter account. There was a huge outcry with the cast who posted an open letter asking for his reinstatement followed by a petition by the general public which garnered over 175,000 signatures.

Since his termination, Walt Disney Studios president Alan Horn has met with Gunn on several occasions to discuss the situation. According to Deadline, Horn was persuaded by Gunn’s public apology and his handling of the situation afterward and decided to reverse course and reinstate Gunn.

Gunn’s return to Guardians of the Galaxy 3 reportedly became complicated when he was brought on by Warner Bros and DC. to write and direct the Suicide Squad sequel. According to Deadline, Marvel Studios has agreed to begin production on Guardians of the Galaxy 3 after Suicide Squad 2 has been completed. Reports state that Marvel Studios never considered another director for Guardians of the Galaxy 3, even though there was speculation that Thor: Ragnarok helmer Taika Waititi and Vicehelmer Adam McKay were taken into consideration.

Sources: Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter