We’re still a long ways away from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but as the Marvel Cinematic Universe gets ready to close out Phase 3, we’re beginning to hear just how important James Gunn’s threequel is going to be to the franchise. Spoiler alert: it’ll play a key role in kickstarting the new story that’s set to shape Phase 4.
Of course, plot details and the like for the film are still scarce, but excitement is understandably high. After all, this is a journey that began with the release of the original Guardians of the Galaxy four years ago, and though it was deemed to be an exercise in risk-taking at the outset, Star-Lord and the gang have since cemented their place as some of the most likable characters populating the MCU – the sheer love and fandom generated by Baby Groot alone is a testimony to the Guardians’ prevalence.
We don’t expect to learn anything substantial about Vol. 3 for some time – especially since Marvel has SO many movies to release before then – but being the good guy that he is, James Gunn took to Twitter this week to confirm that yes, the next solo film for those lovable A-holes will arrive at some point in 2020. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t say when in 2020, but Marvel has already scheduled three movies to be released that year – in May, July and November, respectively.
It seems likely that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3‘s release will occur in May, seeing as that’s when Vol. 2 debuted in 2017. We’ve already been told that Spider-Man: Homecoming 2 will likely fill the July slot, while November currently remains a mystery. It could be Doctor Strange 2, though Marvel usually likes to pair their sequels up with an origin film to keep things fresh. Looks like we’ll just have to keep an eye out for that last one then.
James Gunn may be in the process of composing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but make no mistake, the galactic threequel is currently on hold until after the release of Avengers: Infinity War in May. That’s because the events of both that film, and its currently untitled sequel, Avengers 4, will have a bearing on what happens in Star-Lord and the gang’s next solo adventure. But once Earth’s Mightiest Heroes have their time in the sun, we fully expect things to pick up on Gunn’s third MCU effort.