Principal photography on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 has officially wrapped, and that can only mean one thing: It's time to start to start talking about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. James Gunn recently announced online that filming was done for the newest movie starring the intergalactic heroes, and almost instantly he was asked if he would return for another go-round with Star-Lord, Gamora, and the rest. While Gunn didn't say he wouldn't be back for Vol. 3, it's clear that the director needs a break before making these kinds of decisions.
In a comment posted on James Gunn's Facebook page all of 10 minutes after the director had made his original post, he was asked by a fan, "when do you start on v3?" Gunn responded directly to the fan, as he does to many of the people who leave comments on his Facebook page, but the response was not what the fan was hoping to hear.
I'm not yet sure whether I'm going to do Vol 3.
When the concept of sequels comes up, especially before post-production on the previous film has even begun, there are usually a couple of possible responses. Some actors or directors are so passionate about a particular project that they say they'd be happy to jump right back into the pool and make another as soon as they're done. Alternatively, you have those who need to take a breath and think about it. James Gunn is certainly taking the second approach, and based on another Facebook response we may understand why. When asked which of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies was more difficult to work on, the director said this:
This one was more emotionally exhausting.
It sounds like he needs to recharge the batteries before he makes any decisions. We're going to go ahead and assume that there are at least tentative plans for a third volume of Guardians of the Galaxy. Unless The Russo Brothers are planning to kill them all off in Avengers: Infinity War, we can't think of why Marvel would want to stop making them. What's more, unless something terrible happens with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, we'd guess that the job of directing that new entry would be a job James Gunn can have... if he wants it. However, his own comments from his original post make it sound like he might be making a farewell to everybody involved in the franchise.
I love these characters (and the performers and visual effects artists who help me bring them to life) and I'm grateful to have spent the last few years working with them.
What do you think? Should James Gunn return for a third Guardians of the Galaxy movie, or does he get to move on to other projects and let somebody new take a shot with the franchise? Should the movie be called Guardians of the Galaxy: Greatest Hits? (yes, yes it should) Let us know what you think.
