James Gunn confirmed that a character will die in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The director acknowledged that a death is imminent during a recent Instagram Q&A session. When asked if someone was going to be killed in the third film, Gunn simply replied, "Yes."
This wouldn't be the first time a Guardian has fallen. In 2017's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Michael Rooker’s Yondu valiantly sacrificed himself to save Peter Quill during the film's climactic third act. Gamora also died within the Marvel Cinematic Universe after her father Thanos sacrificed her to secure the Soul Stone in Avengers: Infinity War. However, a different version of Gamora would be brought back in the follow-up Avengers: Endgame.
Gunn's revelation at least allows fans to prepare for another farewell, though, unsurprisingly, there is no indication or hint as to whether the character will be one of the core Guardians or a side character.
The director has previously stated he wouldn't begin working on Guardians Vol. 3 until he completed work on DC's The Suicide Squad. At the time of writing, he is currently in post-production for that movie, but this time in self-isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic has clearly allowed him the opportunity to begin plotting and thinking about events for the anticipated Guardians movie.
Written and directed by James Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 does not currently have a release date. The film is expected to begin production in February 2021.
(Via Comicbook.com.)