All we know for certain about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 so far is that it’ll mark James Gunn’s final involvement with the franchise, but that doesn’t mean Marvel won’t entertain the idea of continuing the cosmic adventures without him, although you get the distinct impression that Dave Bautista might take a little convincing to return for any hypothetical Vol. 4 without Gunn at the helm.
We also know that pre-production is underway after LLC Infinity Productions III was recently registered, maintaining the tradition set by the first two installments, and the director has also confirmed that filming is looking to kick off before the end of the year, with the Disney Plus Holiday Special built into the shoot. Everything else outside of that is subject to rumor and speculation, but based on one of Vol. 2‘s post-credits scenes, it would be safe to assume that Adam Warlock will make his long-awaited Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in the pic.
Zac Efron has regularly been named as a potential candidate for the role, and a report made the rounds the other day that said Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was searching for a Caucasian Efron-type around 30 years of age to play the character. However, not only has Gunn taken to social media to debunk the story, but Seth Rogen also got in on the act.
Shit I was gonna submit myself for the Zac Efron type.
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) March 10, 2021
The director has made it perfectly clear that the casting process for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 isn’t underway as of yet, and he’s certainly asked a pertinent question about why he’d specifically be seeking a white actor for a role that requires gold skin. Still, it’s telling nonetheless that at no point did he deny that Adam Warlock is set to play a major role in the story, which has been expected from the start.