With James Gunn back in the director's chair, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to begin filming at the end of 2021. The series is about a rag-tag group of space misfits, led by Chris Pratt's Peter Quill, as they come together to try and do good to make up for their respective dubious backgrounds. While Guardians had been a comic since 1969, the modern version of the team only came into existence in 2008. They were relatively unknown, especially compared to MCU superstars like Iron Man, Captain America, and the Hulk. Upon the first film's release in 2014, though, the Guardians quickly became fan favorites and Vol. 1 was followed by Vol. 2 in 2017.

However, the future of the series was suddenly thrown into question during the summer of 2018, when Disney fired Gunn. Decades old tweets Gunn had made, which featured some questionable jokes about touchy topics like 9/11 and the Holocaust, had recently resurfaced. In an attempt to avoid future controversies, Disney opted to fire the director. At this point, Gunn had already written the script for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and was in the middle of preproduction. His firing was met with extreme backlash, both by fans and the cast/crew of Guardians, with many accusing Disney of being too quick to let go of Gunn without looking at the nuance of the situation. Vol. 3 was put on hold, with many wondering if there could even be a Guardians without Gunn. However, less than a year later, Disney rehired Gunn.

Related: Why James Gunn Was Fired From Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is expected to begin shooting at the end of 2021. This will be the third and last MCU film to be shot during 2021, with Taika Waititi's Thor: Love and Thunder to begin shooting in January and Peyton Reed's Ant-Man 3 beginning production in the middle of the year. The main cast from the previous two films are set to return, with Gunn reprising his role as both writer (using a script that's mostly unchanged from before he was fired) and director of the film.

James Gunn Rejoined Guardians of the Galaxy 3 A Day After Suicide Squad 2

Vol. 3 was originally set to be released in May of 2020. Obviously, Gunn's firing caused the initial delay, but it wasn't the only reason the film has yet to begin shooting. Gunn was hired by Warner Bros. to write and direct The Suicide Squad, and was in the middle of production when he was rehired by Disney. Surprisingly, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has not delayed filming on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and Gunn claims that they still intend to begin production at the date they initially set out to when he was rehired.

Vol. 3 is still a little over a year out from starting production, but there are reasons to be excited. Gunn's rehiring is unquestionably a positive for Disney and the Guardians brand, as so much of the tone and humor of the films are tied to Gunn's idiosyncrasies. Since the film won't begin shooting until the end of next year, there is also a pretty good chance that it won't be further delayed by COVID-19. Few details are known about the film and it will be a couple years before it lands on the big screen, but things are looking good for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. 

Next: How Guardians of the Galaxy 3's Delay Completely Changed Marvel Phase 4

Source: THR

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