James Gunn Calls 'Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3' "The End" Of This Team & Says The Film Is "So Big & Dark"

Right now, it would appear that James Gunn is loving all the acclaim he’s received from his new DC superhero TV series, “Peacemaker.” But that doesn’t mean the filmmaker is sitting around doing nothing. He’s currently in the middle of production on the highly anticipated trilogy-ending sequel, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” for Marvel Studios. And while speaking on the Hero Nation podcast, the filmmaker talked a bit about that film and why it is a real ending of the story.

READ MORE: James Gunn Says His Next DC TV Series Will Be Connected to ‘The Suicide Squad’ & ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 Is Almost Confirmed

Fans have been eagerly awaiting ‘Guardians 3,’ for years now. And since the release of the second film, Gunn has been adamant about how the next sequel would be the end of the story he wants to tell with the space-faring characters. In fact, Gunn said, in the interview, ‘Vol. 3’ will likely be the last time this grouping of Guardians will be together.

“This is the end for us, the last time people will see this team of Guardians,” Gunn said.

As for what fans can expect in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” the filmmaker teased that the story might be darker than folks are expecting. 

READ MORE: James Gunn Is Bringing His ‘Suicide Squad’ Composer To Marvel For ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy 3’

“It’s big. It’s so, so big and dark, and different from what people might be expecting it to be,” he said. “I just want to be true to the characters, the story and give people the wrap-up that they deserve for the story. That’s always a little bit scary. I’m very aware that the third film in most trilogies suck.”

As mentioned, Gunn is currently in production on the third ‘Guardians’ film. While filming that, he’s also set to work on the “Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special,” which many believe will be premiering around the holidays later this year. 

Of course, even if ‘Vol. 3’ marks the end of this iteration of ‘Guardians’ films, it’s highly unlikely that Marvel Studios will say goodbye to the franchise altogether. Even in the interim, between the 2017 sequel and now, fans have seen plenty of ‘Guardians’ characters show up in films such as “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame.” So, even if ‘Vol. 3’ is a conclusion, of sorts, it’s likely not the end.


“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is expected to hit theaters on May 5, 2023.