Production on director James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 could start as soon as next year. According to That Hashtag Show, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will reportedly kick off production in Atlanta in early 2019.

This shouldn't be entirely surprising, as Marvel typically begins production on their features approximately a year out from release. Since James Gun confirmed that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will hit theaters in 2020, it makes sense that pre-production is already underway at Pinewood Atlanta Studios in Fayette County, Georgia.

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Gunn, who has always been very open on social media, has been teasing the third installment on social media since last summer. Back in October, the director even let fans know that he was nearly finished with the treatment for Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3, having written nearly 70 pages.

The first Guardians of the Galaxy film hit theaters back in 2014 to impressive numbers. The oddball group of heroes were proof that Marvel Studios didn't need to rely on their core Avengers to sell a film, as fans quickly found themselves wanting more of Groot and the rest of the team. Last summer's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 didn't perform perhaps as well as many had expected, but it was quickly revealed that writer/director James Gunn would return to finish out the trilogy for a planned 2020 release.

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Marvel Studio's slate beyond Phase Three is currently unknown, although a sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming has already been scheduled for a 2019 release. The studio previously announced various release dates without any further information, leading many to suspect the May 1st date is, in fact, for Vol. 3. Other dates that are still without confirmed titles are August 7th, 2020 and November 11th, 2020.

Next up for the Guardians is Avengers: Infinity War, directed by Joe and Anthony Russo. That film is set to hit theaters on May 4.