Taika Waititi has explained why he won't be directing Guardians of the Galaxy 3.
Even since James Gunn was fired from the series over past controversial jokes of his resurfaced online, everyone has been saying that Taika Waititi is the natural next choice to direct Guardians of the Galaxy 3.
Waititi directed Thor: Ragnarok to big box office and critical success. He is also known for such films as Boy, What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople.
However, Taika Waititi has firmly stated that he will not be involved with the third instalment of the superhero series.
Speaking at the What We Do In Shadows panel of the Television Critics Association press tour, he said:
"I'm not doing that movie, but I'm hanging out with them."
He continued: "I'm still hanging out with those guys and talking about new stuff. What might be yet, but yeah, I want to do another [Marvel] movie."
Taika Waititi explained that he has too much respect for Gunn's work to take the reins from him.
"For me, that's James's," he said. "Those are James's films. Going into something like that which has got his stamp all over it would feel like going in someone's house and going, 'Hey! I'm your new dad, and this is how we make peanut butter sandwiches now!' It just feels kind of awkward. I just wouldn't know how to follow up those two films because those are his babies."
Gunn is currently writing the script for the next Suicide Squad movies at Warner Bros. and is in negotiations to direct.
Waititi is in post-production on a What We Do in the Shadows TV series based on his hit film, for which the official trailer just dropped. He is also directing the upcoming Star Wars series The Mandalorian. On top of that, he is currently finishing his Hitler satire Jojo Rabbit with additional footage and editing.
