Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 3: Release Date, Trailer, Cast & Everything We Know (2024)

Guardians of the GalaxyVol. 3, the conclusion to James Gunn's MCU saga, was originally announced in April 2017, and will finally be hitting theaters in the summer of 2023. It will mark the conclusion of Gunn’s beloved work in the MCU, wrapping up the story that he originally began with almost a decade ago. The original Guardians of the Galaxy movie quickly became a fan-favorite entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe thanks to its bold storytelling, unconventional characters, and unique sense of humor. It brought fairly unknown superheroes like Star-Lord to the forefront of mainstream Marvel storytelling — a feat that had previously seemed doomed to fail.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

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The Guardians appeared in Thor: Love and Thunder, where the titular god briefly joined the team following the events of Avengers: Endgame. Although their screen time was only minimal, their appearance proved that the heroes were still traveling the universe together, now with Gamora’s sister Nebula among their ranks. Since then, they’ve appeared in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, where Mantis and Drax took a quick trip to Earth to learn about the human tradition of Christmas. However, the stakes are sure to be much higher and more intense in the upcoming third installment of their cinematic trilogy.

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Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Latest News

As with most MCU projects, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is constantly being updated with new information and details as the production continues. Although Marvel is pretty secretive about exact plot details and potential leaks, they're fairly open about the franchise's long-term plans. Gunn has confirmed that Vol. 3 will be the final installment for the original Guardians of the Galaxy team.

Dave Bautista has also confirmed his exit from the franchise — and while the other cast members have kept quiet about their future involvement, it's clear that many won't be returning any time soon. With the exception of a first-look trailer and a confirmed release date of May 5th, 2023, there haven't been many other major announcements regarding Gunn's upcoming movie.

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Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Release Date

The release date for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is May 5, 2023. It will be the second feature-length project in the MCU’s Phase 5, releasing just a few months after Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. It’s currently one of 2023’s most exciting superhero projects, not only because it’s been teased as the most emotional and dramatic of the entire franchise, but simply because it’s been so long since Star-Lord and his friends have taken center stage in a full-length movie. Personal disputes saw Gunn removed from the MCU for a long while, but now that he’s back, the Guardians are in good hands (via Deadline).

Although an official runtime hasn’t yet been announced, Gunn has claimed that Volume 3 will be “a longer movie than the other two movies” (via THR). The director is clearly trying to make amends for the huge amount of time that’s separated the original Guardians movie from the next chapter of their story, and he’s extremely confident that this “bigger” movie will live up to their expectations.

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Cast

Though much of the original cast will be returning for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, there will also be several new additions to keep things fresh and exciting. The trailer offered the first look at Will Poulter as Adam Warlock, another superhero whose encounter with the Guardians will allegedly make for “an interesting juxtaposition with where we've been so far”, according to Gunn (via EW). Chris Pratt (Star-Lord), Zoe Saldana (Gamora), Karen Gillan (Nebula), Vin Diesel (Groot), Bradley Cooper (Rocket), Dave Bautista (Drax), Pom Klemetieff (Mantis), Sean Gunn (Kraglin), and Sylvester Stallon (Stakar Ogord) will all be returning to their original roles.

Although Poulter’s Warlock has been posed as the main antagonist of the film, his roots in the comic books seem to suggest that his intentions will be much more complex than they seem on the surface. There’s likely a lot more to the character that hasn’t been revealed already. Borat 2’s Maria Bakalova will be playing Cosmo, the security chief of the planet Knowhere and a new accomplice to the Guardians of the Galaxy. She’s described Gunn’s original film as “the movie that made me get excited about the Marvel Cinematic Universe”, so it’s safe to assume that she’ll bring plenty of much-needed passion to the role.

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Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Trailer

The first trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was released on December 1st, 2022. It doesn’t spoil too much about the plot, but there were several reveals that hint towards a much more emotional and dramatic story than the previous two installments. It gave the first look at the team’s new roster, which seems to include Nebula and an alternate version of Gamora as permanent members. The trailer also indicates a heavy focus on Rocket’s character, hinting that he’ll play a much larger role in this movie than he has previously.

Fans have been crying over Guardians 3’s trailer thanks to its shift in tone and worrying about the fates of their favorite characters — particularly Rocket. His powerful line about flying away “into the forever and beautiful sky” raises plenty of questions about the character’s fate, as it's unclear whether he’ll survive this final adventure. With the trailer, Gunn is definitely ensuring that audiences are prepared for the end of this beloved trilogy, but MCU trailers have famously been deceptive before. If the rest of the franchise is anything to judge by, there will still be plenty of surprises and twists that remain a secret.

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Story

The exact details of Vol. 3’s story are still a mystery, but it’s clear from the trailer alone that the stakes are going to be extremely high. There seems to be a focus on Rocket’s backstory, which is a certain narrative thread that’s never been explored before in the movies, so there’s plenty of potential for exciting storytelling there. The movie also features an alternate version of Gamora, who was last seen in Avengers: Endgame when she left to explore the universe alone. Her reunion with the Guardians is sure to be a major plot point with some emotional moments.

Adam Warlock’s status as a hero or villain remains very secretive, but Gunn has repeatedly claimed that he’s going to be a large part of the story, so fans can expect him to play a role in the story’s central conflict. He was first mentioned in the post-credits scene of Vol. 2, where he was described as a weapon to be used against the Guardians. Whether or not he’ll actually bring down the Guardians is completely up in the air, but if the original source material is anything to guess by, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 won’t pull its punches when it comes to this complex dynamic.

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