It has been weeks since Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn was fired over years-old tweets unearthed by alt-right personalities with a vendetta. Since that time, there has been an overwhelming amount of support from fans and the cast to get the former director rehired so that he could direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

However, it’s being reported that Disney will be standing by its decision to fire the director. And in a surprising turn of events, Marvel Studios supports their parent company’s decision. More on the story below.

The news comes to us exclusively from Variety, who says Gunn and his representatives at UTA had been pushing for a second chance. Gunn and Disney Chairman Alan Horn met recently to clear the air. While the meeting has been described as “civil and professional,” Horn ultimately decided to stand by his decision.

Feige was reportedly out of town at the time of the meeting. While the Marvel Studios president was rumored to be throwing in his support for Gunn, it is said that he stands by Disney’s decision not to reinstate him.

Now it will be time to look for Gunn’s replacement. It’s not clear if any of this will have an effect on the production schedule. Filming was expected to begin at the start of 2019 for a possible 2020 release. It’s still unclear whether or not Marvel will use the script Gunn wrote. Although there are rumors that say they will, with a few minor additions from the new director to make it their own.

Many are hoping that they will. And it stands to reason that they will if they want to stay on schedule. Meanwhile, Dave Bautista, who plays Drax, has been the most vocal about the matter. He has gone as far as threatening to walk out on Vol. 3 if they do not use Gunn’s script. Most are still under contract for at least one more Guardians film.

It’s unclear what the cast will do now in the wake of this decision. All of them have signed a joint letter asking the studio to give Gunn a second chance, though that did not go as they planned. But at the time of its release, the cast said:

They aren’t the only ones. It’s being reported that studios like Warner Bros. are eager to work with the director.

As always, we will keep you posted on any new developments, including who Marvel Studios may be looking at as Gunn’s replacement.

[Source: Variety]