James Gunn confirms Guardians 3, but he’s still figuring out his role in it

Last Updated on July 31, 2021

I can't imagine that there was ever much doubt that we'd see a third installment of GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY at some point, but now director James Gunn has confirmed to Complex that more GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY is indeed in the works. Gunn is in the final stages of post-production on GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2, but that's not stopping him from trying to figure out the third GUARDIANS film, even if he isn't entirely sure what his role in the project will be.

There will be a Guardians 3, that's for sure. We're trying to figure it out. I'm trying to figure out what I want to do really, that's all it is. I got to figure out where I want to be, what I want to spend the next three years of my life doing. You know, I'm going to make another big movie; is it the Guardians or something else? I'm just going to figure it out over the next couple of weeks. 

After writing & directing two GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY movies, I certainly wouldn't blame Gunn for wanting to take a break, but even if he doesn't wind up directing a third GUARDIANS, I'd imagine that he'd still be very much involved. As for the upcoming GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2, Gunn said it won't have much connection with the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

It's a very self-enclosed story, so I deal with the Marvel guys every day on where we're going forward, but basically the story GOTG Vol. 2 is about the Guardians and it has no connection to the rest of the Marvel universe and none were ever mandated. So where it ends up is what anybody would have to deal with after that. I think people in general probably overestimate the amount of overall planning there is with the Marvel universe. At the end of the day, we're telling a longform story that has many different moving parts and within those stories there's a lot of freedom to do what you want. And I've been lucky in that the most creatively fulfilling freeing experience I've ever had making a film has been on Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2. Without a doubt.

Before we see Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel in a third GUARDIANS film, we'll be seeing many of the cast popping up for an appearance in AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR. Although the film will be an Avengers movie first and foremost, James Gunn says that "the Guardians are a part of the cosmic universe, they're a part of Thanos' stories, so, they are in there, and they have, not the biggest, but, an integral part to that."

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 will hit theaters on May 5, 2017.