Chris Pratt is "thrilled" and "proud" of Disney for rehiring James Gunn for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The studio decided to cut ties with Gunn last summer when some decade-old tweets featuring tasteless and offensive jokes resurfaced, which were uncovered due to the director's outspoken political voice on social media. The Guardians of the Galaxy cast were shocked by the studio's quick decision and for the most part, they remained silent in the days after the decision, until they released a joint statement in support of Gunn.

While attending the Avengers: Endgame premiere, Chris Pratt spoke about his excitement to have James Gunn back on board to helm Guardians of the Galaxy 3. The Star-Lord actor was originally reluctant to take on the role, but it has definitely paid off since starring in the first Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014. When asked what his reaction was to hearing the news of Gunn's reinstatement, Pratt had this to say.

"I was so thrilled, so excited. I think it's the right move, I really stand behind it. I'm really proud of Disney for hiring James back and ultimately thrilled for not only us, but also for the fans. I think it's going to wrap up the trilogy in the best way."

When James Gunn was fired from Guardians of the Galaxy 3, Chris Pratt withdrew a bit and didn't offer many interviews because it was so hard to talk about. At the time, the actor called the news "shocking" and revealed that it put the cast members in a really tough spot since they loved working with Gunn so much, but they also loved playing their characters at the same time. Out of everybody, Dave Bautista was the most outspoken during this time, claiming he was ready to quit over Disney's quick decision.

James Gunn is currently preparing to work on DC's The Suicide Squad, which is reportedly in the casting phase at the moment. After he is finished with the DC universe, the director will head back over to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to begin work on Guardians of the Galaxy 3, which would have more than likely been close to wrapping production by this time had he not been fired. The third and final Guardians installment was originally going to be one of the first projects in the MCU's mysterious Phase 4.

Avengers: Endgame opens in theaters this week and MCU fans are excited to see how everything works out for our Decimated heroes. Will Star-Lord and the rest of the crew come back from the dustbin? Will Gamora get saved from her Infinity War fate by some time traveling? We'll just have to wait and see. Regardless, fans and the cast of Guardians of the Galaxy 3 are very happy to have James Gunn back behind the camera. The interview with Chris Pratt was originally conducted by People Magazine.