Production on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has come to a halt.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, a small crew working on the film’s pre-production was recently dismissed and permitted to look for new work. The news arrives as uncertainty looms over the Disney/Marvel project, which is currently without a director.
A source suggested the hold was only temporary, describing it simply as a “regrouping.” Though it’s unclear when the crew would return to work, the insider said pre-production will resume once the studios find James Gunn’s replacement.
“The timeline has been pushed out,” the source told THR.
About a month ago, Gunn was removed from the popular franchise after his critics unearthed problematic tweets from years ago. The posts, which were shared between 2008 and 2011, included jokes about topics like rape and pedophilia.
“The offensive attitudes and statements discovered on James’ Twitter feed are indefensible and inconsistent with our studio’s values, and we have severed our business relationship with him,” Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn wrote in a statement.
Since Gunns’ termination, the Guardians of the Galaxy cast have been vocally supportive of the filmmaker, who helmed the franchise’s first two installments.
Actors including Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Karen Gillan, and Pom Klementieff penned an open letter calling for Gunn’s reinstatement. Cast member Dave Bautista has also blasted Disney on multiple occasions, even threatening to quit the franchise if Gunn’s Vol. 3 script wasn’t used.
Disney has not announced a release date for the much-anticipated film; however, filming is expected to start in early 2019.
