Marvel fans are only a little over a month away from reuniting with the Guardians of the Galaxy, but before the sequel arrives in theaters, some folks are already looking to what's even further away for these cosmic heroes. Earlier this month, director James Gunn confirmed that Marvel will likely want to make Guardians of the Galaxy 3, and needless to say that there's already excitement brewing over a third movie. However, Gunn wants those already starting to obsesses and ask questions about a third Guardians movie to take a step back and wait until Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 comes out before getting too excited. As he put it:
People are obsessed about the third one and they haven't even seen the second one yet! What if they all hate the second one? Then they're not going to be so obsessed anymore. It's all about what's in the future; it's never about what we have right now. I think if anything, this Guardians is about what they are in this moment -- and I think that's what it's been like for me working on the movie. It really isn't about thinking down the road and how can we make something great someday -- it's how can we make something great right now in this moment that will affect people's lives for the better. That's what Vol. 2 is.
While discussing all things Guardians of the Galaxy, James Gunn provided the above thoughts to Fandango about people already becoming hyped over Guardians of the Galaxy 3, wisely pointing out that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hasn't even been released yet. Why start obsessing over the third movie when you haven't even seen the second movie and formed an opinion in it? From Gunn's perspective, more importance needs to be placed on what's happening in the moment rather than what's coming up in the future. In other words, wait until you're actually seated to watch Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 before you start building up anticipation for a third movie that's at least three years away, if not longer depending on where it will be placed in Phase Four.
Given Marvel's track record with movies, it's extremely unlikely that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will be critically derided, namely because James Gunn once again directed and wrote the script. That being said, there's no guarantee that Vol. 2 will necessarily be better than its 2014 predecessor. Of all the MCU series of films, the Captain America series is arguably the only one whose follow-ups surpass the original, though perhaps Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and November's Thor: Ragnarok will help break the trend. Don't forget that the Guardians are also set to return in both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4, so moviegoers will be seeing plenty of them for the rest of the decade.
Obviously we'll provide any updates on Guardians of the Galaxy 3 as they come in, but don't expect anything concrete on that project for a long time. In the meantime, you can look forward to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 being released on May 5.
