Guardians Of The Galaxy 3 Will End Team’s Current Line-Up

Next month, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will fly into theaters and shake up all the things fans used to know about the franchise. The much-anticipated sequel will see Star-Lord return alongside other staple characters like Gamora and Groot. However, by the film’s end, the intergalactic team will have grown by a few members. There’s little doubt that the third Guardians movie won’t carry over staple team members, but fans have worried whether the family can all make it through to a fourth film.

And, if director James Gunn is right, then it looks like the current iteration of the Guardians team is reaching its end. In a recent chat with ScreenRant, the director was asked if Guardians 3 will end the team as he created it. Here’s what Gunn had to say:

“It means it’s the end of this iteration of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Yeah.”

Of course, fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe know that superhero teams have had their rosters shuffled before. The Avengers lost Thor and Hulk during the events of Captain America: Civil War. And, in the second Avengers flick, characters like Vision and Scarlet Witch were brought onto the team.

However, there has been some uniquely special about the team featured in the Guardians films so far. The franchise was not a popular one amongst casual audiences when it came to theaters, and its comedic action converted millions into fans. The chemistry between the team’s current members is unmistakable, but Marvel Studios is not a company to make rash decisions. If the line-up’s iteration needs to change, the studio will take great care to make sure fans aren’t left grieving for too long – hopefully.

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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).

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hits on May 5, 2017.