Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has started filming, confirms star Chris Pratt. Marvel Studios has had a busy few days, with the world premiere of Eternals taking place, early critical reaction pouring in, and the studio announcing delays in the release schedule. However, one film that was not delayed was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which held onto its May 5, 2023 release date.

Originally rumored to be the first film of Phase 4, Gunn had been hard at work on developing the film in 2018 before Disney fired him. When he was rehired by Disney in 2019, Gunn was already hard at work on The Suicide Squad, but since so much was already done in pre-production prior, it meant the film was further along than many other MCU films and could begin shooting sooner. Progress on the film picked up steam when it was announced that Will Poulter had been cast as Adam Warlock in the upcoming film.

Related: Who Is Adam Warlock? Guardians Of The Galaxy 3 Character Explained

Filming has officially begun on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, according to star Chris Pratt. In a video from Team Coco, Pratt was in the hair, and makeup trailer on what he said was day 1 of the shoot. Principal photography was initially expected to begin in November. Watch the full announcement below:

With production underway on the film, more casting announcements should be expected in the near future. Gunn says the film has a dozen secret roles. Gunn will be filming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special simultaneously, with the holiday special expected to land on Disney+ during the holiday season of 2022. Before then, audiences will see the Guardians of the Galaxy appear in Thor: Love and Thunder, which is now scheduled to hit theaters in July 2022. Groot will also delight fans on Disney+ with a spin-off series of shorts titled I Am Groot, expected to air sometime next year.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 keeping its current May 5, 2023 release date, means this film will come out on the sixth anniversary of the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and will be nine years since the team made their big-screen debut in the MCU. James Gunn has confirmed this will be his final Guardians of the Galaxy film and teased a central character's death. The team has come a long way since when they were first announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2012 and have gone from an unknown commodity to one of the biggest franchises in the Marvel pantheon.

Next: Why Marvel's Phase 4 Delays Don't Include Guardians Of The Galaxy 3

Source: Chris Pratt/Team Coco