When The Avengers launched in 2012, Marvel looked set to go on a historic run at the box office. It had turned Thor, the Hulk and Black Widow into household names, alongside the likes of Iron Man and Captain America.
But when it was revealed that Guardians of the Galaxy would be the feature to bridge Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron, doubt began to creep in. No one had ever heard of these characters. Few had heard of the director, James Gunn. So who exactly was going to pay to see this in theaters?
As it turns out, a whole lot of people. Guardians of the Galaxy went on to gross nearly $800 million worldwide, making it the third highest-grossing film of 2014. It beat The Winter Soldier by nearly $60 million. The Guardians of the Galaxy proved that Marvel’s logo was enough to sell a film, and thankfully, the movie itself turned out great.
While there may have been some questions externally about bringing these oddballs to the silver screen, Marvel was never concerned. The sequel was greenlit before the first movie even premiered, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ended up dropping last May. It wasn’t quite as revelatory as its predecessor, but it was a fun and imaginative film with a great cast. And now we know when the third volume will be out, thanks to Gunn himself:
Coming in 2020. https://t.co/2kQbPHC5gP
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) January 14, 2018
The tweet you see above was in response to a question from a fan on Saturday night who wanted to know if there would be a Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Marvel had already confirmed that there would be a third film, but this is the first time that a date has been attached to the highly-anticipated sequel.
