18 Mar - Now that James Gunn has officially been reinstated as the director of "Guardians of the Galaxy 3", production on the threequel can finally begin. Not so soon, though, as Gunn is still committed to helming "The Suicide Squad". According to Deadline, Marvel Studios has agreed on starting production on the third "Guardians of the Galaxy" instalment after Gunn wraps up the DC movie. Since the "Suicide Squad" follow-up is still in its casting stage and will only begin filming later this year, this means the production of "Guardians of the Galaxy 3" could possibly only really take off early next year. It was originally supposed to film earlier this year but Gunn's sudden dismissal last July led to the production crew to be dismissed by late August last year. Of course, delay in production will mean delay in release too. At this point, it will be quite unlikely for the movie to open in 2020 as Gunn previously said it would. It might open either in early 2021 (though there was news last October of filming possibly beginning in 2021 itself) or even 2022 if the studio is looking to avoid clashing with "The Suicide Squad", which opens in August 2021.
Gunn was fired from the Marvel project last year when his controversial old tweets resurfaced. Fans petitioned to get him back and the cast, including Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista and Zoe Saldana, also requested the same. After his firing, Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn met with Gunn often to discuss the situation. It was reported that the studio never considered any other director to helm the third outing. Horn reinstated Gunn after being persuaded by the director's public apology and the way he calmly handled the situation. So at the moment Gunn will focus on "The Suicide Squad" first, which is now reported to be a 'total reboot' instead of a sequel, before moving on to finish what he started in the "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise.