James Gunn Says Avengers: Endgame Didn’t Affect His Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Plans

Writer-director James Gunn‘s script for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 wasn’t altered by Avengers: Endgame because Gunn penned his threequel after already being made aware of the events of that film, Gunn says. Following the events of Avengers: Infinity War, where Guardians of the Galaxy member Gamora (Zoe Saldana) was murdered by adopted father Thanos (Josh Brolin) to unlock the Soul Stone, Endgame sees lovers Gamora and Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) briefly reunited when a time-traveling Gamora from 2014 — the same year the Guardians formed — enters present day 2023 alongside Thanos and her adopted sister Nebula (Karen Gillan). After Nebula is killed by her own future-self, 2014 Gamora and 2023 Nebula took off together to parts unknown.

“The script will change because my scripts always keep changing up until the moment I shoot them,” Gunn wrote on his Instagram story when asked if Thor (Chris Hemsworth) would be a member of the Guardians after Endgame closed with the ex-Asgardian king leaving Earth with the team. “But it won’t change according to anything from [Endgame], because I already knew what was in that script before I wrote [Vol. 3].”

A deleted scene from Endgame showed Gamora’s departure following the death of Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), a thread left for Gunn to continue in Vol. 3.

“There are the parts so that Gunn could do whatever he needs to do that,” Endgame co-writer Stephen McFeely previously told ComicBook.com. “You saw the behind-the-scenes stuff where they all kneel and she sort of boogies off set. If you left that in, you would’ve gone, ‘Oh, she’s alive and she’s over there.’ It’s very vague now. I don’t know what he’s going to do with it.”

Added co-writer Christopher Markus, “I also liked that little dangling piece of time travel. The bow wasn’t completely wrapped up and there was a little bit of an after effect from what they did. That doesn’t necessarily affect this movie, and I don’t know how it’s going to affect the coming Guardians, but just leaving some strings, when you’re tying up this many strings, it’s satisfying to know that there are a few still still dangling.”

In November, Gillan said she was anticipating seeing in Vol. 3 more of a Nebula and Gamora relationship that is now free from Thanos’ influence.

“I think I would love to see what their relationship is now that their father, the source of the abuse, is out of the picture,” Gillan said at Comic Con Paris. “I think that would be really interesting to see if they can form a normal, sisterly, loving relationship.”

Marvel Studios has not yet announced the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 release date.

Other upcoming Marvel Studios projects include Black Widow on May 1, 2020, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier in Fall 2020, The Eternals on November 6, 2020, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on February 12, 2021, WandaVision in Spring 2021, Loki in Spring 2021, Spider-Man 3 on July 16, 2021, What If…? in Summer 2021, Hawkeye in Fall 2021, and Thor: Love and Thunder on November 5, 2021, and Black Panther 2 on May 6, 2022. Marvel Studios Disney+ series without release dates include Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, and She-Hulk.