by Phase 5 of the MCU is fully upon us now, and with it comes greetings and goodbyes. Perhaps most interesting is the farewell to writer-director James Gunn, and the current Guardians lineup, including Chris Pratt and others, in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Now Gunn is the head of DC Studios and, hard at work in his new universe, it looks like his fourth outing (including his joyous holiday special) will be the swan song for the original roster.
But what should we as an audience expect from Gunn and company if this is the climax of the bloody Guardians of the Galaxy, and what does it mean to move on?
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Fear not, because here’s everything you need to know about Star-Lord and company and their latest adventure.
guardians of the galaxy vol. 3 release date
guardians of the galaxy vol. 3 will hit our screens on May 5, 2023, reuniting the cast with James Gunn as writing director after his controversial firing due to offensive tweets and his hasty rehire.
It’s been a long road since, in the meantime, he went on to direct The Suicide Squad for DC and then gave us the Guardians of the Galaxy Christmas special.
While there is no official word on the film’s running time, James Gunn has gone on record that it will be longer than the previous two films which clocked in at 2 hours, 2 minutes and 2 hours, 17 minutes respectively. This makes sense since both Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania had longer runtimes than their previous movies.
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With so many characters to juggle and some at the end of his path, it’s no surprise Gunn is opting for an epic runtime.
guardians of the galaxy vol. 3 cast
Well, since this is the end of the line, you’d expect it to be the old gang. Chris Pratt returns to head up the team as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, along with Karen Gillan’s Nebula, Dave Bautista’s Drax the Destroyer, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, as well as Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel voicing Rocket Raccoon and Groot respectively.
Also returning is Zoe Saldaña as Gamora, this version being a 2014 incarnation introduced during the events of Avengers: Endgame and without the long history and romance shared with Quill.
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Gunn also plans to bring back characters who were teased from previous outings like Elizabeth Debicki as High Priestess Ayesha of the Sovereign, Sean Gunn as the commander of the Kraglin Ravagers, Sylvester Stallone as Ravager Stakar Ogord. Teased in Volume 2, we also see Michael Rosenbaum as Martinex.
Academy Award nominee Maria Bakalova reprises her role from the holiday special as Cosmo the Spacedog, a new member of the Guardians who speaks through a translating device.
New additions to the cast are Will Poulter as the newly created artificial weapon Adam Warlock who will cause trouble for the Guardians and Chukwudi Iwuji as The High Evolutionary, a character linked to Rocket’s past.
Also in the cast are Superstore’s Nico Santos and The Suicide Squad’s Daniela Melchoir in undisclosed roles.
What is the plot of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?
The official plot synopsis is that after buying Knowhere from The Collector, the Guardians of the Galaxy attempt to turn it into a safe haven for alien refugees. But after a brutal attack, Peter Quill must lead the Guardians on one last mission to protect one of their members that could lead to the team’s disbandment.
Other than this, little is known, though Gunn has teased an exploration of Rocket’s past and a more emotional arc for the grizzled Rocket as he follows up on threads left behind by previous Marvel projects. Who will remain and who will face Kang in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, only Gunn knows.
Is there a trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?
The first trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 dropped in December 2022. Check it out above.
More ominous in tone than previous Guardians of the Galaxy trailers and featuring a slower, dramatic take on the 1995 hit Spacehog In The Meantime, the trailer hinted at the end of the A-hole team we’ve come to know and love. . .
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A second trailer revealing Will Poulter as Adam Warlock and Star-Lord’s attempts to win back Gamora is also playing in theaters.
guardians of the galaxy vol. 3 is in theaters and IMAX starting May 5, 2023
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