Guardians of the Galaxy: James Gunn Still Plans for Vol. 3 to Be His Last Movie in Franchise

He's said it before, and he just reminded fans again — but James Gunn isn't currently planning [...]

By Adam Barnhardt

He's said it before, and he just reminded fans again — but James Gunn isn't currently planning to return to the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise once Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters. For a while now, the filmmaker has said the threequel will be his last with this unruly band of cosmic characters, a fact he double-downed on Monday evening. The answer came as a part of his increasingly common Q&A sessions with fans on Twitter.

"I'm planning on it [Guardians 3] being my last," the director said in response to a fan. The interested MCU fan had asked if he currently has plans for a fourth film in the franchise.

Last November, Gunn confirmed the script for Vol. 3 had been finalized and the production was in the active process of hiring crewmembers.

"[The] script is written and most of the production heads have been hired," Gunn told a fan on Twitter last November. The filmmaker has also confirmed cameras will begin to roll on the property later this year.

As with everything else under the Marvel umbrella, Vol. 3 details are being kept close to the chest. Gunn has said in the past, however, that Rocket Raccoon is a major part of the feature.

"I'll just say Rocket is a big part of what's happening in the future - and a lot of this stuff (like the scars we're about to see on his back) sets up what I've been planning for Rocket all along," Gunn wrote during a ComicBook.com Quarantine Watch Party last year.

When filming Vol. 3, Gunn will also film the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, an in-continuity Disney+ exclusive featuring the same cast and crew of the main film franchise.

"I'm being asked this a lot. Yes, the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is real, it's something that [Marvel Studios] & I have been cooking up for years," Gunn posted on social media. "The story is as crazy & fun as can be, & it's live-action & in the MCU. OH MAN I WISH I COULD TELL YOU MORE!"

The first two Guardians of the Galaxy movies are now streaming on Disney+ while Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is due to hit theaters May 5, 2023.

What members of the Guardians would you like to see spin-off shows of? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting our writer @AdamBarnhardt up on Twitter to chat all things MCU!

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