Guardians 3 could be James Gunn’s last Marvel movie - here’s why
Will this be Gunn’s final Marvel outing?
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Marvelis ready to ramp up its Phase 4 plans after a quiet 2020. The studios' movie plans were thrown into disarray last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but it’s ready to bombard fans with plenty of movies and Disney Plus TV shows over the next three or four years.
The MCU’s next phase will be kicked off, on the big screen at least, by Black Widow, and aMarvel teaser trailerreleased earlier this week showed what films will follow the Natasha Romanoff solo flick.
One of those movies was Guardians of the Galaxy 3, which will land in theaters on May 5, 2023 - and it’ll be a bittersweet moment for Marvel fans. Why? Well, it’s likely to be James Gunn’s last MCU film.
After Marvel Studios' newest trailer landed, Gunn tweeted out that he’d see fans in cinemas across the globe when Guardians 3 arrives in two years' time. One keen fan responded to Gunn’s tweet to inquire if he’d be back for another adventure with Star-Lord’s gang. Gunn, though, reaffirmed that Volume 3 would likely be his final MCU outing in the director’s hotseat.
Check out Gunn’s reply below:
I’m planning on it being my last.May 4, 2021
Will Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 be Gunn’s last hurrah?
It’s looking increasingly likely. Gunn’s latest comments follow ones that he made in 2020 about his future with Marvel, and back then the Slither and Brightburn director revealed that Guardians 3 would “probably” be his last movie for the studio.
Gunn did follow that up by saying “But you never know!” (perDigital Spy), but this latest answer seems more concrete than his 2020 comments.
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
Why might this be Gunn’s final MCU outing, then? Well, he’ll probably want to move onto other projects. Gunn is currently in the middle of post-production on DCEU movie The Suicide Squad, and he’ll be the writer and producer of Warner Bros.' upcoming Coyote vs Acme live-action/animation hybrid movie in 2023, too.
Before Coyote vs Acme, though, Gunn will be the showrunner for HBO Max’s Suicide Squad Peacemaker spin-off series, starring John Cena as the titular character, which will land in 2022. Gunn will also precede work on Guardians 3 with the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which will also arrive next year, albeit on Disney Plus.
Gunn, then, has a lot on his plate currently. Once Guardians 3 and Coyote vs Acme are complete in 2023, he may want to return to his indie horror roots, work on other Warner Bros. properties or simply take some time to rest and recuperate. Coupled with the fact that Guardians 3 could be the final movie for Star-Lord’s ragtag bunch, depending on how its story plays out, and we might not get another Guardians of the Galaxy movie anyway.
Fans may be holding out for another Guardians of the Galaxy movie post-2023 and, while thatcouldbe the case, we wouldn’t expect Gunn to helm that instalment based on this comment.
As TechRadar’s senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You’ll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.
An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as thisMoon Knight TV spot.
Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across.
Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.
How to watch Gangnam B-Side online – stream the South Korean drama from anywhere
‘The stakes are so different’: Endurance filmmaker on finding Ernest Shackleton’s iconic lost ship in a new documentary on Disney Plus
Arcane season 2 finally gave us the huge Caitlyn and Vi moment we’ve been waiting for – and its creators say ‘we couldn’t have done it in season one’
