Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was notably absent from Marvel's Phase 4 reveal this weekend at San Diego Comic Con, and now writer-director James Gunn has explained why.
"Sorry to disappoint," Gunn wrote on Twitter. "Guardians Vol. 3 IS happening, but I am finishing The Suicide Squad first." The Suicide Squad reboot will begin filming later this year ahead of its August 6, 2021, release date, according to previous reports.
With the Marvel Phase 4 timeline in mind, Guardians 3 shouldn't be expected until after November 5, 2021, the day Phase 4's final film, Thor: Love and Thunder, is released. Marvel previously announced three release dates for its movies beyond that date: February 18, May 6, and July 29, 2022. While the company didn't tie any movies to those specific dates, it's possible one will belong to Guardians 3.
The extended wait between Guardians 2 and 3 stems from Disney's decision to fire Gunn from the sequel in July 2018. Following an outpour of support from fans and cast members alike, Gunn was rehired in March. It was between his firing and rehiring at Disney that Gunn was brought on to direct DC's next Suicide Squad movie.
In May, Gunn commented on the offensive jokes that were the cause of his firing. "I don’t blame anyone," he said. "I feel and have felt bad for a while about some of the ways I spoke publicly; some of the jokes I made, some of the targets of my humor, just the unintentional consequences of not being more compassionate in what I’m putting out there. I know that people have been hurt by things that I’ve said, and that’s still my responsibility, that I wasn’t as compassionate as I should be in what I say."
Jordan is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter @jdsirani.
