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James Gunn says Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3. will be ‘incredibly emotional’

Updated Dec 6th, 2022 4:46PM EST
Guardians of the Galaxy 2 Post Credits Scenes
Image: Marvel Studios

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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is one of the most anticipated movies of Phase 5, and the more we hear about its mysterious plot, the more exciting the sequel becomes. Vol. 3 was already exciting without any of the teasers from James Gunn or the leaked Comic-Con trailer that gave us a big plot spoiler. But the more the cast and crew talk about the film, the more we want to see it.

James Gunn has been teasing the film for a while, making it clear to fans that Guardians Vol. 3 will not be quite the same comedic superhero adventure that we’ve come to expect from the team. This prompted speculation that some Guardians might die, and we’ve already seen rumors about such tragic events. But it’s not just Gunn saying the film is highly emotional, teasing bigger stakes for this one. Mind you, some spoilers might follow.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 plot hasn’t leaked

James Gunn said in previous interviews that the film will not be like the previous chapters, teasing that we’re looking at this team’s final adventure. We speculated at the time that some Guardians might die or retire, although the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 plot has never leaked.

It was actually the first Guardians 3 trailer that delivered a major plot detail. Gamora (Zoe Saldana) would meet Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) in the most “boring” way. The Guardians have a meeting scheduled with the Ravagers, and Gamora is their leader. Boring doesn’t mean any less emotional, especially for Star-Lord.

Drax (Dave Bautista), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), and Groot (Vin Diesel).
Drax (Dave Bautista), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), and Groot (Vin Diesel). Image source: Marvel Studios

The Comic-Con panel also confirmed a few Guardians 3 plot rumors. Chukwudi Iwuji will play the High Evolutionary, the villain of the film. Moreover, Maria Bakalova will voice Cosmo the Space Dog.

But that’s as big as the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 plot leaks get for the time being. Moreover, reports say that Gunn & Co. went ahead and shot multiple variants of the death scenes in the movie so the tragic events can’t leak. Supposedly, not even the film’s stars know who dies or not.

Guardians 3 premieres on May 5th, which gives us almost a year to learn the plot’s secrets. It also gives Marvel plenty of time to tease the movie. And Gunn keeps saying the film will be more ambitious and emotional than the previous installments.

The incredibly emotional Guardians 3 story

“It’s an incredibly emotional story,” Gunn told GameSpot. “Much more mature than the other Guardian stories in a way because, you know, we started making these movies that [moviegoers] were 10, 11 years old when they saw the first one, and now they’re 20, 21 years old. The movie has grown up with them.”

The comment echoed Gunn’s own remarks to The Hollywood Reporter a few days ago.

“This is a much bigger movie than the other two movies, and it’s a much more emotional movie than the other two movies,” Gunn told THR. “And it’s a longer movie than the other two movies — it’s bigger in every way.”

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Vin Diesel) in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Image source: Marvel Studios

Some of the leading Guardians 3 actors also teased the higher stakes of the story, saying the plot is more epic than before.

“It was emotional making it, for sure,” Nebula actress Karen Gillan said. “There was, of course, so much fun in the film and seeing fun sequences where the emotion isn’t so heavy, but ohh, there are scenes where the emotion is heavier than it’s ever been in the Guardians world. It was hard to get through some of it.”

Pay attention to episode 3 in an MCU franchise

“It definitely feels like the most epic,” Gillan said of the Guardians Vol. 3 plot. “It’s complex, and the characters are having to deal with that. It’s very emotional for all of them. And then we’re also dealing with the fact that this is the end of an era of sorts, and so there’s a lot of emotion.”

Pom Klementieff, who plays Mantis in the franchise, teased a shot from the end of production where “it was really hard to not weep.”

Groot (Vin Diesel) in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
Groot (Vin Diesel) in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Image source: YouTube

These actresses know better than spilling giant Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 secrets so early in the game. We don’t have any plot details from them, and we shouldn’t expect any.

But seeing all these comments, one other remark comes to mind. Here’s what Kevin Feige had to say about Deadpool 3 after Comic-Con:

How do we elevate it in the way we’ve been able to with Civil War, and Infinity War and Ragnarok? It’s very fun to be in the world of the Ryan Reynolds show.

That’s an important detail that helps set expectations for the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 plot. That’s because Vol. 3 is also the third installment in a story. By Feige’s own standards, it should deliver a massive story. First though, you can enjoy the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special coming to Disney Plus in November.


More Marvel coverage: For more MCU news, visit our Marvel guide.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.