When James Gunn took charge of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise in 2014, many were skeptical. While Marvel Studios wasn't known for hiring big-name directors at the time, the announcement of Gunn's hiring still felt like an odd choice to helm the movie which would go on to define the cosmic realm of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially after 2012's The Avengers got the ball rolling towards Thanos.

Gunn, then a writer on the Scooby-Doo live-action franchise and as director of dark movies like Slither and Super, would eventually wow fans with his unique blend of comedy and action, truly painting a modern space saga along the lines of Star Wars. However, with crude jokes from years ago resurfacing online, the director was fired by Marvel, leaving fans wondering what would happen to Guardians of the Galaxy 3.

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The franchise is viewed as his baby, and he'd already turned in a draft of the script (which, let's face it - Marvel is unlikely to use), so let's look at who can possibly fill Gunn's shoes.

Taika Waititi

Gunn was given a lot of creative freedom in his franchise, shaping everything from script to music as he made the MCU's galactic scene a place where there was at least as much comedy as action, a mix that worked surprisingly well. Taika Waititi followed a somewhat similar formula for Thor: Ragnarok, shifting the franchise from a full-blown cosmic-medieval narrative to a rollicking, laugh-out-loud galactic adventure.

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Waititi showed he can brilliantly merge over-the-top space action and humor, exemplified from how he destroyed Asgard on screen, while building a brilliant buddy-cop relationship between Thor and Hulk, truly changing the dynamic of both characters. From his indie films like the Hunt for the Wilderpeople and What We Do In The Shadows, Waititi is clearly just as fearless and thought-provoking a filmmaker, ergo why he would be well suited to take up the baton.

Peyton Reed

Peyton Reed can also blend comedy and action to great effect, as seen in his two Ant-Man films. When Gunn started this train in 2014, just a year later Reed was doing the same (although not as grand in scope) through the adventures of Scott Lang, doing so by also relying on a theme Gunn's narrative is steeped in: family.

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He's loves bringing emotional superhero stories to life and can handle an ensemble cast, as seen from the expanded roster in Ant-Man and the Wasp. Reed loves the cosmic realm too and he has indicated he'd love to helm a Fantastic Four reboot someday, so while we wait on Disney and Fox to settle their buyout, the Guardians franchise could be a perfect substitute. Reed knows the MCU way as well, making this transition even easier.

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Matthew Vaughn

Matthew Vaughn is also similar in style to Gunn as a director, although an argument can be made for him being even more controversial in his brand of comedy. We saw this in the Kick-Ass and Kingsman franchises, where he also used heavy humor, but spliced into even more high-octane sequences. He was supposedly in talks to helm a Man of Steel sequel too but with no movement on that front, Marvel can offer the Guardians franchise as a replacement.

RELATED: Matthew Vaughn Is Perfect to Direct Man of Steel 2

He's one of the most respected directors in the comic book movie realm, too, and some fresh perspective could be a good thing. He knows about franchising, and sets the stage for long-term stories, which would reassure fans hoping he can recapture Gunn's magic. If they're worried about him handling an ensemble film, well, look no further than how he restored faith to Fox's X-Men universe with First Class.

Nicole Perlman

A lot of what we've seen transpire on-screen stems from Nicole Perlman, who was responsible for the first Guardians script before Gunn came aboard. She was enrolled in Marvel's screenwriting programme in 2009 and chose the Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning comics (some of the most critically praised books) to influence her work, which ultimately led to Thanos' victory in Avengers: Infinity War.

RELATED: Perlman Explains How Marvel’s Gamora Became a Guardian of the Galaxy

She's just as big a fan as Gunn and knows the franchise very intimately. Perlman is still heavily involved in the MCU cosmic, as a writer on the upcoming Captain Marvel movie too, so if the studio decides to take a risk, she could move into the director's chair and add to the MCU's burgeoning female movement. This could be a great success story of Disney giving a female writer her first big break as a director, and who better than the person who helped get fans hooked on space's most heroic rogues.