Everything you need to know about Guardians of the Galaxy 3
Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is coming this summer to wrap up this MCU trilogy and if the latest trailer is anything to go by, we're in for an emotional time.
Following the first trailer in December 2022, Marvel released the second trailer for the threequel at the Super Bowl. As well as showing Peter Quill's reunion with Gamora (but not the same Gamora), it also had fans speculating just who was going to die.
We obviously hope that none of them will die, but Dave Bautista might have hinted that we'll need to prepare ourselves for the worst. "I remember shooting the last scene that we were all going to shoot together," Bautista told Digital Spy.
"It wasn't the last day. It wasn't even close to the last day. But it was the last time that the original version of the Guardians of the Galaxy were on set together, and we were all in tears. So I'm sure there's more of that to come."
Let's hope the tears were just because it was the last scene they filmed together and not because the scene was a traumatic one...
The Holiday Special revealed some changes to the team since we last saw them as they now live in Knowhere – which they bought from the Collector – they've got a new ship called the Bowie and they also now hang out with adorable telekinetic dog Cosmo.
But what else can we expect from the threequel? Here's everything you need to know about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3.
Guardians of the Galaxy 3 release date: When is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 released?
We've had to wait longer than expected, but Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 will finally be released in cinemas on May 5, 2023.
The movie filmed from November 2021 to May 2022 and to make the most of the sets, the Holiday Special – which you can watch right now on Disney+ – was filmed at the same time and is set between Thor: Love and Thunder and the third movie.
The threequel has actually already set a new world record with its filming as it surpassed The Grinch for "the most make-up appliances created for a single production". Impressive.
Guardians of the Galaxy 3 trailer: Watch the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 trailer here!
As mentioned above, the first trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 was released on December 1, 2022, following its exclusive debut at Comic-Con in July.
And then the second trailer followed in February 2023, giving fans a better look at the High Evolutionary, Cosmo's big-screen debut and more scenes of adorable baby Rocket, who isn't having the best time though.
If you missed it above, check it out below:
Guardians of the Galaxy 3 cast: Who's back in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3?
We'll see Chris Pratt return as Star-Lord, Dave Bautista as Drax, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Vin Diesel as Groot and Pom Klementieff as Mantis. After the events of Avengers: Endgame, we'll also be seeing Zoe Saldaña as Gamora again.
Saldaña has said she'd want to "explore a bad Gamora" in the third Guardians movie, which in the trailer footage seems less like a villainous arc and more of an unempathetic one. She has also been teasing the threequel's story, and it sounds like we'll need tissues.
"There's a lot of melancholy here, but also pride that we've achieved something great. James Gunn has written a beautiful story, that's making us emotional even as we shoot it," she noted.
She added in October 2022 that it was a "very sweet departure" which hopefully means a happy ending. The trailer confirmed that the 'new' Gamora has joined the Ravagers since the last time we saw her.
Sean Gunn is back as Kraglin, Yondu's one-time Ravager pal, and Elizabeth Debicki could also return as Ayesha, with the star up for a return.
"I would love [to], even if I just sort of scooch on for a second. I mean, I would love to come back," she said. In the second movie, she was seen with Adam Warlock (more on him shortly), but the trailer didn't show her return.
Sylvester Stallone's Stakar is back as well, so that could signal a return for his fellow Ravagers: Aleta Ogord (Michelle Yeoh), Charlie-27 (Ving Rhames), Mainframe (voiced by Miley Cyrus) and Martinex (Michael Rosenbaum) in the MCU's future.
New to the cast are Will Poulter as Adam Warlock, making his official debut after being teased in one of Guardians Vol 2's credits scenes, Peacemaker star Chukwudi Iwuji as the High Evolutionary, while Daniela Melchior and Nico Santos are both in undisclosed roles.
In terms of Adam Warlock, we could be seeing more of him post-Guardians 3 as James Gunn has said he cast Poulter as he wanted "somebody who was youthful", adding "he could become this really important character" in the MCU.
The surprise addition to the cast was Borat 2 star Maria Bakalova as Cosmo the Space Dog, who was previously spotted in the Collector's museum in the first movie, and who popped up in the Holiday Special.
One person we definitely won't be seeing (unless it's in flashbacks) is Michael Rooker as Yondu, who sacrificed himself to save Star-Lord in the second movie.
"As I've said before, Yondu is dead and will stay dead as long as I'm involved with the Guardians," Gunn tweeted. "His death means something to people and I'm not about to diminish that."
Rooker reprised his role for the Holiday Special, but it was just in an animated flashback to his earlier days with Peter.
Guardians of the Galaxy 3 plot: What will Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 be about?
If we weren't already worried about a Guardian dying, then the official synopsis for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 compounded those fears.
"Our beloved band of misfits are settling into life on Knowhere. But it isn't long before their lives are upended by the echoes of Rocket's turbulent past," it reads.
"Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him on a dangerous mission to save Rocket's life—a mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them."
We've always know that the third movie would mark the end of this trilogy, and Gunn has promised that it'll serve as the "epic conclusion" to the story he began in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy.
The movie is set to bring an end to this current version of the team on screen. Could it be Chris Pratt's final outing as Star-Lord? He's not yet ruling out an MCU return.
Thor: Love and Thunder did provide us with a bit of an idea as to what the Guardians will be up to next.
The Guardians, along with Thor, decided to respond to distress calls across the universe thanks to Gorr the God Butcher... butchering gods. Star-Lord suggests the team split up so they can best traverse the galaxy and help people.
We imagine that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 will introduce this plot point as a quick prologue to the actual story of the third movie, confirmed in the trailer to be the search for – and ultimate reunion with – Gamora, as she disappeared after the big battle with Thanos.
The trailer also confirmed we'll see more of Rocket's backstory, which makes sense given Gunn said if he hadn't gotten to do the third movie, he would have been most disappointed at not finishing Rocket's arc.
As for the other returning cast, it does seem like it's their final curtain call, with Bautista ruling out a future movie as Drax. "I mean, as far as my obligations, I've got Guardians 3, and that's probably going to be the end of Drax," he told Digital Spy.
Bautista added in January 2023 that while he's "so grateful" for the role, he won't miss everything about it.
"It was hard playing that role. The make-up process was beating me down. And I just don’t know if I want Drax to be my legacy – it’s a silly performance, and I want to do more dramatic stuff," he reflected.
Gunn has been teasing the third movie's "pretty heavy" story, adding: "It's a heavier story, so it's an emotional process to go through." Pratt described it as a masterpiece.
It's something that Karen Gillan backed up as she said that when she read the script with Pom Klementieff, there were "full tears". "It's brilliant and it's emotional and it's funny and it's all of those things that you want," she enthused.
Let's hope the tears aren't because some of our favourite Guardians are about to die...
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 is released in cinemas on May 5. You can watch the previous two movies on Disney+.
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