(Warning: An Avengers: Endgame spoiler shall be found below.)
Avengers: Endgame is breaking all the records as we speak, so pretty soon (maybe even before Spider-Man: Far From Home arrives on July 5), Marvel Studios should unveil some official Phase Four plans. We already know that several release dates have been pinpointed for untitled projects that include Black Widow and Shang-Chi standalone movies along with Eternals and a few sequels. It’s been assumed, however, that Guardians of the Galaxy 3 might not surface for quite some time. The movie was originally scheduled for May 2020, and then James Gunn was fired, and rehired, and in between that, he began guiding The Suicide Squad to an August 2021 release for Warner Bros. This would presumably push Guardians back to shooting in 2022 or later, but the calendar may have shifted, if a certain passage in a new Hollywood Reporter salary roundup is to be believed.
After assorted financial nuggets (including a periodic reminder that Robert Downey Jr. is richer than most gods, since he earned a $75+ million Infinity War paycheck), some Guardians dirt surfaces. It sure sounds like Gunn’s going to be ricocheting quickly between the DCEU and the MCU, if he’s shooting with Rocket, Groot, Star-Lord, and maybe even a new member (that’s the spoiler, we’ll fill you in below the quote) beginning in 2020:
Then there are new additions to the cinematic universe such as Eternals, which will be led by Angelina Jolie and start shooting this year, and Shang-Chi, centered on an Asian hero yet to be cast that will shoot after Eternals. And Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is planned for a 2020 shoot — the current five stars are expected to reunite — with James Gunn back in the saddle as director. Adds one source: “With Marvel and with Kevin, there’s always a long game in play.”
Say a small prayer for James Gunn’s sleep schedule, indeed. Surely, it’s worth the time crunch for Marvel to keep churning out the hits while Warner Bros. continues to sharpen its own wits. Oh, and about that possible new Guardian? It sure looked like Lebowski Thor had joined the group for future cosmic adventures after retiring as an Avenger and handing over those duties to Valkyrie. Man, he and Star-Lord are not going to get along well for extended stints in close quarters. I can’t wait to see that drama play out on the big screen.
(Via Hollywood Reporter)