Ten years after the first Iron Man movie, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has grown so intricately layered that the tiniest developments — possibly even a cat butt in the Captain Marvel poster — could hold significant ramifications. So, it stands to reason that the James Gunn’s July firing as director of Guardians of the Galaxy 3 has thrown Disney’s carefully laid MCU phases and timeline into chaos. Avengers 4 is still in the chute for a May 2019 release, but there have still been no definitive indications (although there are plenty of theories) of which Guardians characters survived Thanos’ genocidal snap.
Guardians 3 isn’t entirely necessary to settle Thanos-related uncertainties, but pushing back the threequel’s release date (indefinitely) to sometime in 2020 could have prompted Avengers 4 reshoots and will have effects on the overall MCU happenings. And two months after Disney’s surprise move, there’s still no Gunn replacement lined up. Well, Rory Cashin of Joe couldn’t resist asking Bradley Cooper — whose helming of the A Star Is Born remake is landing rave reviews — if he had been approached by Disney for the job. Cooper, who voices fan favorite Rocket Raccoon, quickly nipped such speculation in the bud.
“In directing it? I could never direct anything that I didn’t write,” Cooper emphasized. “No, I could never direct anything that I didn’t write.”
Indeed, Cooper was deeply entrenched in all production phases of A Star Is Born. He not only starred but also co-wrote and produced while directing the film (co-starring Lady Gaga). Clearly, he doesn’t have any interest (or he may not feel that he’s qualified) to pick up Guardians 3 where Gunn left off, simply because Cooper is now a director and is ultra-familiar with the franchise. To be certain, the job is a tough fit, given the Guardians tone, and Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi would have been the easiest option for Marvel, but his schedule is packed, despite rumors that he met with Marvel to discuss the gig.
If at some point Guardians 3 does score a new director, that will be news to Cooper. He also told Joe that the project is “on permanent hold for now,” and he clarified that this “may make a difference in what they do with our characters in Avengers 4.” Cooper did say that Rocket Raccoon is definitely in Avengers 4 (which makes obvious sense, since he survived Thanos’ snap), but he’s also on board for two days of reshoots. In other words, nobody knows Guardians 3‘s fate right now, but the rumors shall surely continue.
(Via Joe)