James Gunn Confirms Guardians Vol. 3 Will Take Place After Infinity War

05/02/2017 03:45 pm EDT

Ahead of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2's release in theaters, fans were wondering whether James Gunn would return for a third installment and create a trilogy of Marvel Studios' foray into cosmic territory.

After much internal debate, Gunn himself revealed that he would indeed direct Vol. 3. But the characters are due to appear in next year's Avengers: Infinity War, and with all of this made public knowledge fans then turned to the inevitable questions of continuity and timelines.


A lot of explosive developments occur in the latest film, setting the Guardians on a seemingly obvious path for the future. And given that this movie takes place in 2014, just months after the events of the first Guardians of the Galaxy, many wondered if Vol. 3 would take place before the next Avengers movie.

Gunn clarified all of the speculation today on Twitter when he revealed just when the next Guardians of the Galaxy movie will take place in the Marvel Studios timeline, but his answer is sure to ignite even more speculation regarding the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

UP NEXT:Is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Better Than Vol. 1? (Spoiler-Free)

By the time the next movie comes around, the Guardians will likely have visited Earth, making Peter Quill's homecoming occur in a separate franchise than the one under Gunn's purview.

Unless, of course, the Avengers go into space?

Either way, the Guardians will have done a lot of galaxy saving when they embark on the adventure featured in their third feature film, based on Gunn's latest comments. It will be interesting to see how much they are affected by the events of Avengers: Infinity War and the untitled sequel.

While we're excited to learn bore about the upcoming Avengers movies and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, let's just focus on what we have in front of us for now.


Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hits theaters this Friday. The film has already scored an 86.50 Composite Ranking based on reviews, placing it just ahead of the original movie!

Are you excited to finally pop another edition of the Awesome Mix into your own Walkmen? Let us know with your rank in the Movie Database below!

MORE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 NEWS: Chris Pratt Is Down To Marry Chris Evans If Need Be / Karen Gillan Reveals Which Avenger She Wants To Team Up With / Chris Pratt Says The Guardians Take A Backseat In Infinity War / Zoe Saldana Will Have A Significant Role In Guardians Vol 3 / Michael Rooker Explains Why Yondu Didn't Always Have A Huge Mohawk / One Terrifying Stunt Knocked Out Chris Pratt

Set to the backdrop of 'Awesome Mixtape #2,' Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the team's adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill's true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes' aid as the Marvel cinematic universe continues to expand.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is written and directed by James Gunn (Slither). The film marks the return of the original Guardians, including Chris Pratt (Jurassic World) as Peter Quill/Star-Lord; Zoe Saldana (Star Trek Into Darkness) as Gamora; Dave Bautista (Spectre) as Drax; Vin Diesel (Furious 7) as the voice of Groot; Bradley Cooper (American Sniper) as the voice of Rocket; Michael Rooker (Jumper) as Yondu; Karen Gillan (The Big Short) as Nebula; and Sean Gunn (Gilmore Girls) as Kraglin. New cast members include Pom Klementieff (Oldboy), Elizabeth Debicki (The Great Gatsby, Everest), Chris Sullivan (The Knick, The Drop) and Kurt Russell (The Hateful Eight, The Thing).

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