Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 just hit theatres a few days ago and it has already become yet another successful outing for the MCU. Not only is it on course to being a commercial hit – it has already grossed USD 282 million at the global box office – but it has also received critical acclaim (it currently has an 81% Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes). So, given the successful reception of the film, some fans have already started wondering about its sequel – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.4.
The #1 movie in the galaxy 🌟
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is now playing in theaters. Get tickets: https://t.co/eRzaW2Gx1x #GotGVol3 pic.twitter.com/men4Gv8vyA
— Guardians of the Galaxy (@Guardians) May 6, 2023
For the unaware, director James Gunn has left the MCU to join its rival, the DC Universe, and is already working on his first project, Superman: Legacy. So, it is safe to say that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 4 may not be part of Marvel’s immediate plans. However, this is Marvel we are talking about and anything is possible. We could see a new director take over or we could even see a complete reboot of the franchise. So, given all of the buzz around the franchise, here’s everything we know (so far!) about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 4.
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Is ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.4’ happening?
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gunn is eager to pass on the characters to a new writer and director. However, some of the cast members are sceptical about the possibility of continuing the franchise without him. If a fourth movie were to happen, fans have also been speculating about the direction it would take.
During an interview on the Hero Nation podcast in January 2022, Gunn revealed that the current group of Guardians, as it stands, will not appear in any future movies. However, a new team of Guardians, including Rocket Racoon, Groot, Kraglin, Cosmo the Spacedog, Adam Warlock, and Phyla-Vell, was introduced in the mid-credits scene of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, so there’s a possibility that we see them in the fourth chapter of the franchise.
Gunn had previously mentioned that he originally intended the series to be a trilogy, and at the European premiere of Guardians of the Galaxy 3, he explained that his plan was to make Rocket the central character. He added, “I was planning on it being three films and I was always planning on this story really being the story of Rocket. I knew that to fulfil that story I really needed to go back to where he started. To get to the end of the story we needed to go back to the beginning. And that’s what we did.”
When will ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 4’ hit theatres?
As previously mentioned, there is no official confirmation vis-à-vis Guardians of the Galaxy 4, which is why, as of now, there is no official release date for the same. Even if a fourth movie gets greenlit by Marvel, it will likely take a considerable amount of time before it hits theatres. The pre-production stage alone could take a year to complete.
The original Guardians of the Galaxy movie was released in 2014, followed by Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 in 2017. The gap between Vol 2 and the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 was even longer, spanning six years. This was also due to production delays caused by the Coronavirus.
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(Hero and feature image credits: Courtesy IMDb/Guardians Of The Galaxy 3)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Answer: As of May 2023, nothing has been announced.
Answer: Star-Lord is confirmed to return, but he will likely appear in other films, the way he did in MCU films like Avengers: Infinity War and Thor: Love and Thunder.
Answer: In the first post-credits scene, audiences see that Rocket Raccoon has stepped in as the new leader of a reconstituted Guardians.
