How Guardians of the Galaxy 3's Delay Completely Changed Marvel Phase 4

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol . 3 ’s delay totally transform the Marvel Cinematic Universe ’s Phase 4 . Marvel Studios has developed a report for playing the long game , but in the true their plans are a lot more flexible than most mass recognize . Marvel ’s Phase 3 ticket changeda lot between its proclamation in 2014 and the sack of last year’sAvengers : EndgameandSpider - Man : Far From Home . In that case , these were driven by Marvel and Sony ’s make an unprecedented deal to bring Spider - Man into the MCU , and by a major corporate restructure in 2015 . Marvel responded with admirable lightsomeness to unexpected variety .

Marvel ’s Phase 4 has besides been bear on by unexpected change , although concede in this showcase they have been rather more problematic . The first of these - and , astonishingly , still the most important - was the firing of James Gunn in July 2018 , after a bourgeois website dug up tasteless jokes he ’d shared on social media long before working for Marvel and Disney . The architect of theGuardians of the Galaxyfranchise , Gunn was hard at study preparing forGuardians of the Galaxy Vol . 3at the fourth dimension . His eminent - profile dismiss left Marvel in a hard position , not least because the cast in public corroborate Gunn and Dave Bautista even threatened to leave the MCU unless Gunn ’s script was used . Marvel responded by puttingGuardians of the Galaxy Vol . 3on the back - burner , and it shew a wise decision ; the issue for the most part purpose themselves when Disney fit to rehire Gunn . Disney president Alan Horn was impressed with the genuineness of Gunn ’s compunction .

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Still , this had a durable force on Marvel Phase 4.Guardians of the Galaxy Vol . 3was intended to kick the full phase off , but instead it was sideline . Marvel is yet to announce a new discharge date , largely because Gunn now has other loyalty he needs to satisfy before he returns to Marvel Studios ; he signed up for the DC filmThe Suicide Squadin the time between his fire and rehiring . But the impingement is really far greater than most witness realize .

Guardians Of The Galaxy 3 Was Supposed To Set Up Marvel Phase 4 (And Beyond)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol . 3was designate to assist as a launchpad for a whole range of new cosmic franchises . As Gunn explained it , he was form with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige toshape the futurity of the cosmic MCU . " When we ’re talking about Guardians of the Galaxy 3 , and that story , that ’s a story that will lead to other stories , " he explain . " It ’s innate to the desoxyribonucleic acid that that ’s the end of a trilogy but it ’s the beginning of a whole other constituent of the Marvel Cosmic universe . "

niggling is known of what Gunn had planned exactly , but he lay claim it would put up the next 10 - 20 year of Marvel movies . " Those handwriting are already in the works,“Gunn confirmedin an consultation as far back as August 2017 . " Kevin [ Feige ] and I talk about it all the time , we just had a encounter today . discuss what is the next iteration of cosmic characters and where are the characters that we ’ve already make kick the bucket to go in the next batch of moving picture . " After his firing , Kevin Feige attempted to downplay Gunn ’s importance , but it ’s unlikely Gunn was making all this up . Guardians of the Galaxy Vol . 3was clearly positioned at the start of Phase 4 because it would establish the MCU to infinity and beyond .

Guardians of the Galaxy 3’s Delay Means Phase 4 Is Less Cosmic

Gunn ’s firing , and the delay ofGuardians of the Galaxy Vol . 3 , caused major problems for Marvel Studios . These were initially hold in by the MCU ’s hesitation to announce a Phase 4 slating , meaning audiences had no idea how programme were in fluxion . But when Phase 4 was finally announced , it certainly did n’t satisfy Gunn ’s hope of a cosmic MCU . Instead , the majority of these films are Terrestrial ; there are only two cosmic rubric in Phase 4,EternalsandCaptain Marvel 2 , and both franchises promise to step a balance between Earth and blank space . According to asynopsis forEternals , the titular heroes are ancient unknown who have been hidden on Earth for G of years . Meanwhile , Brie Larson ’s Captain Marvel may be a space - bound venturer , but she increasingly seems to be associated with her homeworld after she retrovert to Earth in the backwash of the child’s play .

Related : Marvel ’s New Phase 4 ticket : Every MCU Movie Release Date ( 2020 - 2022 )

What Was Marvel’s Phase 4 Slate Supposed To Look Like?

All this nurture an interesting interrogation ; what was Marvel Phase 4 supposed to look like ? Gunn has offer few clue , reluctant to reveal too much aboutGuardians of the Galaxy Vol . 3even after being can ; his professionalism is a major reason he ’s coming back to Marvel in the first place . Meanwhile , the scurf of Marvel ’s changes has been shroud beneath a cloak of privacy . Still , some thing can be enounce for certain ; Phase 4 involved the launch of fresh dealership , and it did n’t let in Fox characters . Marvel only find the right to the likes of the Silver Surfer and the Shi’ar in March 2019 , as a upshot of Disney ’s Fox acquisition , so none of those heroes and villains could maybe have project in those initial Phase 4 plan .

Two potential young franchise do stand out as extremely probable . Adam Warlockwas put up inGuardians of the Galaxy Vol . 2 , and it ’s fair to wear his story will continue inGuardians of the Galaxy Vol . 3(although Gunn has reject to confirm this ) . Meanwhile , Kevin Feige did suggest at one degree that Nova can be included in the franchise in the nigh future , but that was before the whole Gunn arguing give up off . Furthermore , Nova ’s potential was intricately connected to theGuardians of the Galaxyseries , given the characters and stories for both . in conclusion , givenAvengers : Endgameended with Thor travel off with the Guardians of the Galaxy , it ’s quite potential Marvel had always wanted to haveThor : Love and Thunderin this phase as well .

At present tense , it looks as though the whole Gunn social function will have had one lasting , foresightful - term effect . Before he was fired , Gunn was look at one of Marvel ’s architects . Now , while he is returning to the MCU forGuardians of the Galaxy Vol . 3 , he has no other succeeding Marvel plan . No doubt all those script in production back in 2017 have been make for on in his absence seizure , meaning even James Gunn will no longer know so much about what the next 10 - 20 twelvemonth ’s worth of Marvel moving picture will look like afterGuardians of the Galaxy Vol . 3 .