James Gunn is back on for GOG3!

The Ides of March can't be bad for everyone, apparently: the Hollywood Reporter, as of March 15, is claiming that embattled director James Gunn is back at the helm of his pet project, "Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume III." Personally, I'm glad. He should never have been crucified for tweets he'd made ten years ago.

The GOG3 project went into limbo when Gunn was fired by Disney. A few talented directors' names were tossed around as people mulled over possible replacements, including the name of Taika Waititi, who did an excellent job with "Thor: Ragnarok." But it wouldn't have been right for anyone else to take over a project that Gunn himself has been so passionate about. Gunn is a comic-book fanatic who has a genuine love for the Guardians; he put together a mint cast and has, thus far, given us two very good movies that are among the crown jewels of the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). Assuming the Hollywood Reporter is correct, I'm glad he's back on board, and I'm sure his cast—all of whom love him—is glad as well.

A juicy tidbit from the article:

In the weeks after firing Gunn, there was speculation around town about who could replace the filmmaker, with agents lining up clients but by mid-fall, any perceived search seemed to have petered out, with many thinking that the project was on the back burner. What almost no one knew was that Marvel and Disney had never undertaken a search and had gone back to Gunn and made a deal ... in secret, according to insiders.

After the firing, Gunn moved on to Warner Bros. and DC to write and direct The Suicide Squad, which has Idris Elba set to star and an Aug. 6, 2021 release date. Gunn plans on doing both films, with The Suicide Squad coming first, according to sources.

After the news broke, Gunn — who has been silent on Twitter since his firing — tweeted a statement.

"I am tremendously grateful to every person out there who has supported me over the past few months," Gunn wrote on Twitter Friday. "I am always learning and will continue to work at being the best human being I can be. I deeply appreciate Disney's decision and I am excited to continue making films that investigate the ties of love that bind us all. I have been, and continue to be incredibly humbled by your love and support. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Love to you all."