The road to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has been a bumpy one, and the film hasn’t even started production yet. We know prior to being fired – and then rehired – writer-director James Gunn had a very specific end goal in mind for what’s likely to be his final take on Marvel’s cosmic superhero squad. Now, if new rumors are to be believed, we know that this team’s line-up is running on bought time.
According to That Hashtag Show, which had been collecting a bunch of Phase Four Marvel rumors, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is likely to be the very last time Star-Lord, Drax, Nebula, Mantis, Rocket and Groot all work together in unison.
This makes sense for a multitude of reasons. First off, Gunn’s take on the super group has been rooted in family, with every character growing alongside and supporting each other. While we can only guess what GotG Vol. 3 has in store for our heroes, we know that compared to where they all started, everyone in the group has grown more emotionally mature.
Secondly, Gunn has always envisioned this franchise as a trilogy of films, and it’s up to Vol. 3 to close each character’s arc (for the most part). That’s not to say that we won’t see Star Lord or Nebula pop up in future Marvel films, but it’ll likely be in smaller cameos. Their main storylines should close in the same series of movies where they started.
From what we’ve heard, the final Guardians of the Galaxy is likely to put our heroes through the wringer. We know Adam Warlock is set to appear as a major antagonistic force, and Mark Hamill is also rumored to play a mysterious villain with ties to Rocket Raccoon’s past. There’s also a chance Beta Ray Bill and Nova pop up for cameos or even major roles. We’ll still have to wait to see if the movie drops the lingering thread of Gamora’s survival post-Endgame, but the cosmic threequel is starting to sound more and more jam-packed every day.
Production on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 should start sometime next year, once James Gunn finishes shooting The Suicide Squad for Warner Bros. The franchise has always been one to subvert fan expectations, so stick around for any new developments on its story or casting. We may not know for certain where the series is headed, but one thing’s for sure: we could always use more Fat Thor.
