The film was supposed to start pre-production this fall.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's timeline has been adjusted.
The Marvel film is being put on hold for the time being, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The outlet reports that the film was supposed to go into pre-production in the fall, with principal photography to begin in the winter. However, crew members preparing for pre-production have been dismissed and are free to look for new work.
Guardians Vol. 3 was set to be directed by James Gunn, until he was fired by Disney in July after controversial jokes he made nearly a decade ago were resurfaced on Twitter. Shortly after his firing, Gunn apologized, while the Guardians cast -- including Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista and more -- expressed their support for Gunn in an open letter, asking that he be reinstated as director.
The cast's statement read in part: "The character [Gunn] has shown in the wake of his firing is consistent with the man he was every day on set, and his apology, now and from years ago when first addressing these remarks, we believe is from the heart, a heart we all know, trust, and love. In casting each of us to help him tell the story of misfits who find redemption, he changed our lives forever. We believe the theme of redemption has never been more relevant than now. Each of us looks forward to working with our friend James again in the future. His story isn’t over – not by a long shot."
“It’s not an easy time,” Pratt added of the situation while speaking with the Associated Press earlier this month. “We all love James and he’s a good friend of ours, but we also really love playing the Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s a complicated situation for everybody. And, you know, we just want to move forward and do what’s right and be the best people we can be.”
ET has reached out to Walt Disney Studios for comment.
See more on Guardians of the Galaxy in the video below.
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