James Gunn Will Return To Write And Direct Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 After All

Bringing an end to months of rumors and speculation, James Gunn has confirmed today that, yes, he will return to write and direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 after all.

In a typically frank Facebook post, the fan-favorite filmmaker revealed his desire to get the news out in the open before the impending Guardians 2 press circuit, where the topic of Vol. 3 would’ve no doubt been raised on multiple occasions. Now, Gunn will simply have to solicit questions regarding the future of Star-Lord and his ragtag crew beyond Avengers: Infinity War.

Speaking of which, after outlining his unwavering commitment to the Guardians of the Galaxy, James Gunn hinted at the ways in which Vol. 3 will bring the curtain down on this particular iteration of the Guardians, and “help catapult both old and new Marvel characters into the next ten years and beyond.” Can fans expect to see an overhauled roster of characters in the not-so-distant future? It’s certainly not outside the realm of possibility.

Getting straight to the point, James Gunn’s Facebook post addressed his MCU future head on, before delivering the line that all Marvelites have wanted to hear for the past eight weeks: “I’m returning to write and direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.”

But the question that comes up perhaps the most is, “What’s the deal with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and are you going to direct?”

Before I was able to honestly answer this, I needed to know it was, in my heart, what I truly felt called to do. There is a history in Hollywood of haphazard endings to trilogies, and I didn’t want to become a part of that dishonorable tradition of pretending the third one doesn’t exist. I couldn’t do it for the money, and I couldn’t do it because it was what other people wanted me to do. I needed to do it because it was what I needed to do. I have never made choices in my career based on anything other than passion and love for the stories and characters, and I didn’t want to start now.

So, after many months of ruminations and discussions, I know the answer. I could save this answer for the first, random interviewer to ask me during the press junket but instead I thought I’d share it with the most important people in the Guardiansverse – you, the fans, who have been so incredibly supportive and enthusiastic over the past five years, it has moved me to tears on a regular basis. So, yes, I’m returning to write and direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

This is but one small extract of the heartfelt message, and if you’re in any way interested in James Gunn’s involvement behind the scenes, we’d recommend giving the full post a read. After clearing the air, the filmmaker touched on Infinity War, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and beyond.

Much of what’s happened in the MCU for the past ten or so years has been leading, in a big way, to the Avengers’ Infinity War. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will happen after all that. It will conclude the story of this iteration of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and help catapult both old and new Marvel characters into the next ten years and beyond. I will be working side-by-side with Kevin Feige and the gang to help design where these stories go, and make sure the future of the Marvel Cosmic Universe is as special and authentic and magical as what we have created so far.

The universe’s unlikeliest heroes may be in line for their biggest adventure yet in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but James Gunn’s dysfunctional family has a big, big future on the silver screen. Vol. 3 is officially on the cards, and if Gunn is currently on the verge of releasing the difficult second album, we’re intrigued to see how the director approaches the third.