James Gunn will write and direct Guardians of the Galaxy 3 for Marvel Studios. The filmmaker transformed a team of extremely obscure comic book characters into international movie stars back in 2014 with the original Guardians of the Galaxy film. Earning widespread critical praise and breaking box office records, it quickly become one of the most popular titles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and excitement is high for this summer's sequel. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 kicks off the blockbuster season in May, and is projected to be one of the year's biggest hits.

For all the followup has in store - including the gang's dynamic with each other and Star-Lord meeting his father - many fans were already looking ahead to the future. One of the most frequently asked questions Gunn faced while on the press tour was what his role would be for Guardians of the Galaxy 3, and his responses painted a muddled picture. His recurring line was that he would like to be involved with the threequel, but nothing was set in stone. Now, he's officially on board.

Gunn himself broke the news on his Facebook page, penning an essay explaining his decision and what inspired him to step into the director's chair once more. You can read it below:

Many viewers will be pleased to hear this, as Gunn is obviously an extremely integral part of the property's success. His ability to capture the voices of misfits like Peter Quill, Rocket, and Groot endeared the ensemble to viewers around the globe, and it's difficult to say if anyone else could replicate what he's done. Gunn obviously had a lot on his mind as he debated whether or not to come back, making reference in his post to multiple part threes in Hollywood that leave much to be desired. The fact he was thinking about this during the process is encouraging, since the director will be motivated to avoid the pratfalls of certain other titles and deliver a rousing conclusion to the trilogy. As he says, his love for the characters is what's fueling him, and Gunn most likely would not have returned if he didn't feel confident this was the best choice.

Though it's extremely early to speculate what the plot might be about, Gunn does reveal Guardians 3 will take place after the events of Avengers: Infinity War. There's a lot of potential there for some interesting character arcs, considering the Guardians will be part of the defense against Thanos in Marvel's super crossover. His tease that the narrative will "conclude the story of this iteration of the Guardians" implies the roster could see some turnover as the MCU moves into Phase 4, so it will be interesting to see what happens. Gunn cannot wait to get started on the project, and fans will be right there with him every step of the way.

Source: James Gunn