Marvel Cinematic Universe Will Expand Its Cosmic Universe Moving Forward

04/25/2017 11:44 pm EDT

While Marvel honcho Kevin Feige is still pretty vague about exactly what the plans are for the "next ten movies" that Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3 will supposedly serve to tee up, one thing seems clear: the Marvel Cosmic side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is just getting started.

Feige hasn't been shy about his enthusiasm for Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2, or for James Gunn's work in general, with some of his comments leading fans to believe that Gunn will be stepping into the advisory/"showrunner" role that Joss Whedon had prior to Avengers: Age of Ultron and which he handed off to Joe and Anthony Russo, directors of Captain America: Civil War.

"I think it's a little early to know what it's going to look like," Feige told Fandango. "I think things are going to look very different at that point, but I think the early discussions we've had with James [Gunn] about Vol. 3 and beyond with what we'll call the 'Cosmic Universe' and the Guardian characters is very exciting. Which is why he signed up and we announced that even before Guardians Vol. 2 came out."

While some fan-favorite "Marvel cosmic" characters remain at Fox or Sony due to rights issues, there are a great many characters for Feige, Gunn, and the rest to choose from, including some high profile ones like Adam Warlock and Mar-Vell.

We'll have to see soon just which of them will make it to the screen.

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).

Next up for Marvel is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 on May 5, 2017. Spider-Man: Homecoming lands on July 7, 2017, followed by Thor: Ragnarok on November 3, 2017. After that Black Panther debuts on February 16, 2018, while Avengers: Infinity War hits theaters on May 4, 2018. Ant-Man and the Wasp is slated for July 6, 2018, followed by Captain Marvel on March 8, 2019.

MORE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2:

• James Gunn Says Sylvester Stallone Will Play A Big Role In The MCU's Future
• Guardians Of The Galaxy Originally Intended To Kill Off Nebula
• Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2: Stan Lee Cameo Hints At Popular Fan Theory
• Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 Has An "Undiscoverable" Easter Egg

Disclosure: ComicBook is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of Paramount. Sign up for Paramount+ by clicking here.