Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is maintaining its May 2023 release date, director James Gunn confirms. Marvel Studios' threequel has long been delayed due to a few reasons. It was supposed to kick off Phase 4 at one point, but Gunn getting unceremoniously fired and subsequently rehired slowed down the process. He proceeded to sign up with Warner Bros. and helmed The Suicide Squad for the DC Extended Universe. Now that both the film and its spin-off series, Peacemaker, are all done, the filmmaker has shifted his focus back to the MCU.

For years, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was without a date, until it finally landed a May 2023 rollout. This works out for Gunn's schedule as he was able to finish his prior commitments in the DCEU first. In recent weeks, he has been providing updates as they gear up to begin shooting for the Marvel Studios film. Between finalizing its storyboards and the casting of Will Poulter as Adam Warlock, it's safe to say that the cameras are all geared up to start rolling sooner rather than later. So, when news broke out that Disney is delaying almost the rest of its slate and even removing two premiere dates, fans became worried that the threequel might've been affected one way or another.

Related: The MCU Adam Warlock Has Lost His Biggest Story

When asked on the matter, Gunn assured fans on Twitter that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is sticking to its schedule. He also revealed that they are all ready to start filming in "just a little bit." The filmmaker didn't give a specific month, but it's safe to assume that principal photography will kick-off before the end of the year. Read his full reply below:

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It's worth noting that before the whole firing fiasco, Gunn had already worked on the script for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and based on what's known thus far, they're not making any significant changes to it despite the long delay. Given this, he was able to quickly pick up where he left off with regard to the film after wrapping up his DCEU obligations. In any case, Marvel Studios wouldn't be keen on delaying the threequel again. Aside from the fact that it's been a long time coming, it makes sense that they want it to have the prime May 2023 spot that's usually reserved for Avengers or other ensemble movies such as Captain America: Civil War. Since this is going to be the trilogy-capper, marking the end of an era for the rag-tag cosmic heroes, of course, the MCU would want it to be their summer blockbuster opener.

Not much is known regarding the plot specifics for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 at this point. However, Gunn and some of the cast members have been heavily suggesting that it will be a very emotional film; after all, it will be the end for this slate of heroes. At least one character is confirmed to die, although no other clue has been given regarding this. Finally, expect Gamora's (Zoe Saldana) to factor into the narrative, as the film reportedly focuses on her and Nebula's (Karen Gillan) relationship.

More: How Adam Warlock's MCU Story Can Work Without Thanos Or Infinity Stones

Source: James Gunn