Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 director James Gunn believes the third time isn't the charm for many movie franchises and went into the upcoming film trying to avoid the so-called threequel curse.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Gunn spoke about how the third installment of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise came together. According to the DC Studios co-head, he knew expectations for the movie would be high considering he hasn't seen many good threequels throughout his distinguished career. "The amount of good third episodes in a trilogy, I can count them on one hand," Gunn said. "Basically, there's the Before Sunrise series. Lord of the Rings. Maybe Spider-Man. But there's just not too many good third ones."
Gunn added that when he drafted plans for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, writing its script was an extensive process, taking him much longer to pen than GotG 1 and 2 and Suicide Squad. However, he insisted the process was worth it as he wanted to get the story right, given it will reveal the truth behind its characters and promises much intrigue. The Guardians of the Galaxy threequel has the potential to become the darkest and most emotional in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Guardians 3 Could Spell Disaster for the Team
The official synopsis for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 suggests that the film could mark the end for the famed superhero team. The band of misfits looks different in the movie, with Peter Quill still processing the death of Gamora but rallying his troops to defend the universe. A failure to complete the mission could lead to the "end of the Guardians as we know them."
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 sees the return of Parks and Recreation star Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, the half-human, half-celestial leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Zoë Saldaña also reprises her role as Gamora, though playing a younger version of the now-Ravagers leader after the original was killed by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. Former WWE wrestler Dave Bautista once again plays Drax the Destroyer while Pom Klementief (Mantis), Karen Gillan (Nebula), Vin Diesel (Groot) and Sylvester Stallone (Stakar Ogord) also feature on the star-studded cast.
Gunn and the Guardians cast are currently promoting the recently released Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which features the Guardians trying to make Christmas special for Peter, heading to Earth to find the ideal present for him. The Marvel Studios Special Presentation also features an appearance from veteran actor and X-Men: First Class star Kevin Bacon.
Fans can stream The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special on Disney+, while Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters on May 5, 2023.
Source: EW