Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Shock: Director James Gunn Delivers Heartbreaking Update About Franchise's Upcoming Film

By Alexandria Reeves

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" might be the franchise's version of an endgame.

Director James Gunn has been pouring everything he has to ensure that the "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise would also be a hit. Fortunately, the first two films did not disappoint at all since the "Guardians of the Galaxy" in 2014 and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" in 2017 earned $772.8 million and $863.8 million in box office sales, respectively.

Despite flying high like any other superhero flick, the near is the end for the franchise as its creator himself already prepared to say goodbye.

During his interview on Deadline's "Hero Nation" podcast, Gunn talked about "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" being the last installment in the franchise.

"This is the end for us, the last time people will see this team of Guardians," he said, as quoted by People. "It's so, so big and dark, and different from what people might be expecting it to be. I just want to be true to the characters, the story and give people the wrap-up that they deserve for the story."

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He scheduled the third installment for release on May 5, 2023. Although he is already sure he will end the story for good, the filmmaker said doing so scared him for years.

According to Gunn, it is always the third film in most trilogies that always flops. Despite that, he knows he did his best and thinks that it might not be the case in his franchise.

"Guardians of the Galaxy" Team Ready to Bid Goodbye

Director James Gunn and the whole team began the film's production in November 2021, with the filmmaker marking it with a photo of the cast members.

"It's been a strange & long & at times challenging journey to get here, but the obstacles along the way have only made this moment more blissful. Back on set with my Guardians family for the first day of shooting #GotGVol3," Gunn wrote.

It was not the first time someone talked about the franchise's exit from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, though. In July, Dave Bautista sat for an interview with People and opened up about the bittersweet departure from the beloved universe.

According to the actor, he did not know whether Marvel Studios would still move forward with the "Guardians of the Galaxy" characters after the third film.

For now, their future outside the franchise remains unknown, and their exit will surely have a huge impact on fans' hearts.