Taika Waititi Won’t Direct ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy 3’; Gives Update on ‘The Mandalorian’

Ever since James Gunn was unceremoniously fired from Guardians of the Galaxy 3 last year, people have been wondering who might take over the beloved franchise. Although Marvel has been busy behind closed doors trying to find a replacement, that hasn’t stopped fans from making their own suggestions on who should close out the franchise. Of all the people that have been floating around for a potential substitution in the director’s chair, Thor: Ragnarok helmer Taika Waititi’s name has clearly risen to the top.

At first glance, it’s easy to see why Waititi might be a good fit for Guardians of the Galaxy 3. The director was a key force in Ragnarok‘s successful reimagining of Thor, something that played a huge role in making the chemistry between the God of Thunder and the Guardians in Infinity War so palatable. With that said, there’s also a huge drawback for Waititi in taking over the franchise. Namely, the fact that he must adhere to the style that Gunn so effectively created in the first two films. Which is a problem for a director with similar, but equally unique style.

However, Waititi made an apperance at today’s FX TCA to promote the television adaptation of What We Do in the Shadows, where the possibility of him directing Guardians of the Galaxy 3 naturally came up. The first set of quotes – which come from Slashfilm – might end up disappointing fans, because Waititi himself confirms that he won’t in fact direct Guardians 3.

[quote]No, no, not doing that movie. I’m hanging out with them [Marvel] still, hanging out with those guys and talking about new stuff. I don’t know what it might be yet, but I want to do another movie with them.[/quote]

While this isn’t necessairily unexpected, the real news here is that Waititi is indeed mulling over other Marvel projects in the future. In the past 5 years in particular, Marvel has managed to cultivate lasting relationships with their filmmakers, so the fact that Waititi wants to return is great news. The filmmaker further elaborated on the decision not direct Guardians of the Galaxy 3, adding:

[quote]For me, those are James (Gunn)’s films. Going into something like that with his stamp all over his films, would be like going into someone’s house and saying ‘Hey, I’m your new dad, and this is how we make peanut butter sandwiches now. It feels kind of awkward.[/quote]

It’s easy to see why the Kiwi filmmaker wouldn’t want to step on the toes of Gunn, and it’s honestly a pretty classy move on the part of Waititi. Switching gears to The Mandalorian, the filmmaker was naturally pretty excited about the prospect of directing an episode of the new Disney+ series.

[quote]It was amazing. [Jon] Favreau is a genius … it’s fun doing something in the Star Wars universe. It’s [strange] to see a stormtrooper, and then when you’re doing a scene with 50 or 60 of them, it’s amazing.[/quote]

When asked how his colorful, vibrant visual style might change in the slightly more muted Star Wars universe, the filmmaker added:

[quote]A little bit, but Star Wars is very different to the Marvel style. The tone of the first films really should be adhered to, it’s what the fans like. You can’t disrespect it. Definitely my tone is in there.[/quote]

Naturally, there’s not much in terms of juicy details form Waititi on The Mandalorian here. At the same time, it’s also good to know that the series is staying true to what people love about the original Star Wars trilogy in the first place. If Waititi is to be beleived, there’s a lot to be excited about with the prospects of The Mandalorian.

What are your thoughts on Waititi’s involvement (or lack thereof) with both projects? Make sure to let us know in the comment section below!