Phase 5 of the MCU is now upon us, and with it comes hello and goodbye. Perhaps most interesting is the departure of both writer-director James Gunn – and the current Guardians lineup including Chris Pratt et al – in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Now Gunn is the head of DC Studios, working hard on his new universe. It looks like his fourth appearance (including his merry Christmas special) will be a swan song for the original roster.
But what should we as audiences expect from Gunn and co if this is the pinnacle of the freakin’ Guardians of the Galaxy, and what does it mean moving forward?
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Fear not, because here’s everything you need to know about Star-Lord and co 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 writer-director following his controversial firing over offensive tweets and his hasty new hire.
It’s been a long road since he went on to direct The Suicide Squad for DC in the meantime and then gave us The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.
While there is no official word on the film’s running time, James Gunn has stated that it will be longer than the previous two films, which were 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 films.
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With so many characters to juggle and some at the end of their road, it’s not surprising that Gunn opts for an epic runtime.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 cast
Well, since this is the end of the line, you would expect the old gang to be. Chris Pratt returns as the team’s headliner as Peter Quill / Star-Lord, along with Karen Gillan’s Nebula, Dave Bautista’s Drax the Destroyer, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, and Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel who voice Rocket Raccoon and Groot respectively.
Also back is Zoe Saldaña as Gamora, this version being a 2014 incarnation brought forward 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 teased in previous outings, such as Elizabeth Debicki as the Sovereign’s High Priestess Ayesha, Sean Gunn as Ravager Commander Kraglin, Sylvester Stallone as Ravager Stakar Ogord. Teased in part 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 translation device.
New additions to the cast include Will Poulter as newly crafted art 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 summary is that after buying Knowhere from The Collector, the Guardians of the Galaxy try to make it 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, which could lead to the team falling apart.
Little is known beyond this, though Gunn has teased an exploration of Rocket’s past, and a more emotional arc for the grizzled Rocket, while also following the threads left behind by previous Marvel projects. Who will be left and who will take on 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 was released in December 2022. Check it out above.
With a more ominous tone than previous Guardians of the Galaxy trailers and scored by a dramatic, slowed-down version of Spacehog’s 1995 hit In The Meantime, the teaser hinted at the end of the team of A-holes we’ve come to know and where. we love .
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A second trailer revealing Will Poulter as Adam Warlock, and Star-Lord’s attempts to reclaim Gamora, is also hitting theaters.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is in cinemas and IMAX from May 5, 2023
Watch: Kurt Russell talks to Yahoo about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2