Credit: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
The end is near. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will officially close the chapter of Star-Lord, Gamora, Nebula, Groot, Drax the Destroyer, Mantis, and Rocket the Raccoon. We’ve seen Earth’s unlikeliest heroes fight with and against one another. With the dramatic events in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame unfolding, the latest chapter of this strange saga will see this band of misfits fight together one last time. Now, it’s always possible that the Guardians of the Galaxy could end up in Secret Wars; however, the journey for these anti-heroes will officially end. As you can imagine, it was hard for the cast to suit up and play these characters one last time; however, for James Gunn, it was no easy feat in his last feature for the Marvel film:
“I’ll be honest; I wrote the screenplay in a few hours, so it just spilled out of me. It was straightforward,” Gunn told The Hollywood Reporter. “Everything about shooting it was easy. Everything about getting the performances out of people was easy, whereas Vol. 3 was torture in every way.”
Credit: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Gunn doesn’t explain what was tortuous about the process, though it may have to do with the fact this would be the last time he would film Guardians of the Galaxy with this crew. Gunn is currently in the film’s post-production phase, and it’s been an emotional experience for the filmmaker: “It’s a big movie, and it’s so different from the special because the special is so wacky and insane,” the director said. “The movie is so emotional, but it’s been a real joy making it. So it’s coming along great. I still have a ton of visual effect shots I’m working on, and of course, putting the score with John Murphy, which is gigantic. So those are things I’ve been focusing on most lately.”
The first trailer dropped for Guardians of the Galaxy and struck an emotional core with plenty of viewers. The Holiday Special for Guardians of the Galaxy was a fun diversion that still added depth and lore to the ever-expanding world. However, Vol. 3 seems darker, based on the trailer though it still maintains its signature humor. Reportedly, multiple characters will die in the third film. Given the serious tone and final send-off to the series, it won’t be surprised if several fan favorites end up biting the dust. It’s wild how a virtual unknown like James Gunn changed not only the MCU but also the way characters and stories are told in the confines of the superhero genre.
Credit: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Kevin Feige made the right call in hiring Gunn, who has a unique sense of style that has helped boost the genre as a whole. Though The Suicide Squad bombed at the box office, Gunn managed to make a truly original and fun film that capitalized on the strangeness of its characters while still creating a story that feels perfect for the comic book world. Gunn only reinforced that notion with Peacemaker, an oddball series that has a potent mix of humor, heart, and action within the series. It will be sad that we won’t see these specific characters again, but there’s a bright future ahead for everyone involved. Most notably, Gunn is now the leader of DC studios. He’s given some nuggets of what the future of the DC universe will look like under his brand, though he and Peter Safran haven’t fully discussed what’s next for the DC universe.
The actors themselves have moved to different franchises. Dave Bautista gets the spotlight this month as Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story is set to be released on December 23. Guardians of the Galaxy will be released on May 5, 2023.
Follow Us
