Taika Waititi will go cosmic for Star Wars, but definitely not for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

At the FX TCA panel today in Beverly Hills, Taika Waititi made an appearance for the TV adaptation of What We Do in the Shadows, and afterward confirmed that he is talking to the Marvel Studios creative team about future projects — and we should clarify that these are projects that are not called Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3. 

“I want to do another movie with them, for sure,” Waititi told SYFY WIRE, before making it clear that he won't be taking over for James Gunn on Guardians duty, like many fans are hoping (or just assuming) he will do.  

“For me, that’s James’ films,” the director said. “Going into something like that, which has his stamp all over it, would feel like going into someone’s house and saying, ‘Hey, I’m your new dad, and this is how we make peanut butter sandwiches now!’ I just wouldn’t know how to follow up those two films because they are his babies.”

Waititi is currently in the midst of additional photography for his dramedy JoJo Rabbit, but he also recently locked his part in the upcoming Disney+ streaming Star Wars series, The Mandalorian. He said the experience was “amazing.”

“I really loved it,” he enthused. “[Jon] Favreau is a genius and so smart, and so good at what he does creating these worlds. The scripts are really great. It was fun doing something in the Star Wars universe. It’s every kid’s dream to just see a Stormtrooper, so when you’re doing scenes with 50 or 60 of them, it’s amazing. I loved it.”

Asked if the project had any leeway for his kind of improvisational comedy, Waititi said there was a bit. “The Star Wars universe is very different from the Marvel style. They know that whatever was set up in tone for the first films should be adhered to, and what the fans like. You can’t disrespect it, which is a nicer way of saying you can’t put too many jokes in them. But my tone is in there with the dialogue.”

His character will have something to do with beloved bounty hunter Boba Fett, which Waititi says was another career highlight. “For most kids growing up with those films, Boba Fett is a favorite character even though he’s barely in the films. Getting to see characters like that, and being in the shoot with them is pretty cool.”

According to current canon, Boba Fett is not a Mandalorian at all — he just wore the armor. Also, in the time period that The Mandalorian is set, Boba is presumed dead and a man named Cobb Vanth is wearing what's left of that armor — see the Star Wars: Aftermath series of books for more on that.

How will Boba be included then? We are literally willing to jump into a Sarlacc's mouth to find out.