Following writer/director James Gunn's controversial firing from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 earlier this year, there's been a lot of speculation about who will replace him. However, despite rumors to the contrary, don't expect Bumblebee director Travis Knight to take the reins for the third installment in the popular franchise.

In an interview with Italian website Bad Taste, as per Google Translate, Knight said, "After Bumblebee, my goal is to return to work at the animation studios Laika, my 'child,' bringing with me all the baggage of experiences I have gained with this project. [...] I'm a huge fan of what Marvel did, it's no surprise for anyone to know that as a child I was a huge fan of comics. But no, it's just a rumor!"

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Knight, whose Kubo and the Two Strings, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film is the President and CEO of Laika. Although Knight won't helm Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, his statement does show his passion for the comics, indicating that he may one day decide to direct a movie for Marvel Studios.

While it's unknown when the Guardians will finally be seen in their next standalone film, they will appear in the upcoming Avengers 4, slated for release on May 3, 2019. Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, Avengers 4 stars Robert Downey Jr., Josh Brolin, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Olsen, Sebastian Stan, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Bettany, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Benedict Wong, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Holland and Anthony Mackie.

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Directed by Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings) from a script by Christina Hodson (Birds of Prey), Bumblebee stars Hailee Steinfeld, John Cena, Dylan O’Brien, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Pamela Adlon, Jason Drucker, Abby Quinn, Rachel Crow, Ricardo Hoyos and Gracie Dzienny. The film arrives on Dec. 21.