We’re almost three weeks on from his dismissal, but the drama surrounding James Gunn’s firing from Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 doesn’t seem to be slowing down any, and now comes word that Marvel Studios may be backing the filmmaker and hoping to persuade the Mouse House to reverse its decision.
First up comes a report from THR, which claims that Disney is yet to fully sever its contract with Gunn, and that the studio and his reps are still negotiating his exit – a matter complicated by the fact that Marvel still intends on using his script for the cosmic superhero threequel.
Apparently, Gunn could expect to receive a severance payout of between $7 million and $10 million, but it seems it may not come to that as Deadline claims that sources have told the trade that “the Marvel contingent is trying to persuade Disney to explore a compromise that might bring Gunn back into the fold for Guardians 3, something that clearly would be best for the franchise.”
SEE ALSO: Is Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 irretrievably damaged?
Deadline goes on to report that “it’s a discussion that comes in the wake of the whole cast declaring their loyalty to Gunn” and that while there’s not said to be any clash between Marvel and Disney, Gunn’s potential return still remains a possibility – although it’s also described as “a long shot”.
In addition to the support of the Guardians cast, a petition calling for the reinstatement of Gunn on Guardians Vol. 3 has attracted some 375,000 signatures. With Disney facing mounting pressure from all sides, it seems this story may be far from over yet…
