James Gunn & Chris Pratt Interview: Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will close out James Gunn's MCU trilogy. While the team adapts to their new life on Knowehere and Peter Quill mourns the loss of Gamora, a new threat from Rocket's past returns. The Guardians must once again face an evil that could destroy the universe, but this one is personal and hits closer to home than ever before. The Guardians will do whatever it takes to protect one of their own, but if they fail, it could mean the end of the Guardians of the Galaxy.

James Gunn has written and directed all three Guardians of the Galaxy movies, an MCU first. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 features a star-studded returning cast led by Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Sean Gunn, and Maria Bakalova. Chukwudi Iwuji and Will Poulter join the cast as the High Evolutionary and Adam Warlock, respectively.

Screen Rant spoke with director James Gunn and star Chris Pratt about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Pratt revealed where Peter Quill is emotionally after losing Gamora and what has been the most impactful part of his Guardians of the Galaxy experience. Gunn shared what he has learned from his experience working on the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and why he wanted to tell Rocket's story in Vol. 3.

James Gunn & Chris Pratt on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Screen Rant: I loved Guardians 3! I was not ready emotionally for this movie. It's the perfect bookend to this trilogy. I know you have a soft spot for Rocket. Why was it so important for you to tell his story in this third installment?

James Gunn: I think it was just always leading to that. We started out in the first movie and my way into the first movie was to delve mentally into Rocket's backstory. Where did he come from? He's in the first movies flying around with this tree and that backstory is the story that we depict in Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3. So, I always knew we were going to reveal that as we went along. Just like we revealed [Star-Lord's] father in the second movie. Which was also something that was thought of during the first movie.

Chris, Peter's relationship with the other Guardians has grown, especially after the loss of Gamora and gaining a sister. Can you talk to me about the relationship between Star-Lord and the rest of his team now?

Chris Pratt: The loss of Gamora really reverberated through the Guardians of the Galaxy, and it's left Peter Quill in a pretty rough spot. Because he's not present, and he's not being the leader that he should be, that actually opens the Guardians up to vulnerability. That's why ultimately he spends the rest of the movie trying to make up for it and feeling pretty bad about it.

His relationship has evolved, and it's continued to evolve, but at this point all of his Guardians are being very understanding and very compassionate towards his plight. And really kind of carrying him along — literally carrying him along.

James, you set up this whole galaxy universe of the MCU. Can you talk to me about what you've learned from setting up this pocket, this corner of the MCU, and completing this trilogy that you'll take with you on future projects?

James Gunn: I learned so much about directing [by] directing these three movies. I learned so much about storytelling in terms of what works and what doesn't work over these three movies. I learned so much about working with actors; really difficult actors like Chris Pratt, and how you have to manage them because their egos and the fact that they will... [Laughs] I forgot you were here. I'm really embarrassed.

I learned a lot from Kevin Feige about how you don't give up on a movie; you just keep pushing it no matter what. You can't give up on something. Even if it's not the greatest move, you've got to make it better.

Chris, what's been the most impactful part about playing Peter Quill for you?

Chris Pratt: For me, probably the fact that I can put a smile on a kid's face just by walking into a room and them seeing me. And that can be for kids who are really facing some serious scenarios in their lives. That has had the most impact on me. It's what has made me just stop in my tracks and throw all the snark aside and just really be moved. And so probably that.

Working with organizations like Make A Wish Foundation and Ronald McDonald House and the various children's hospitals. I'm a dad. I have a kid. I simply cannot imagine what these parents are going through with some of these scenarios with these kids and to just give him 15 minutes 20 minutes a reprieve has been very impactful.

James, is there a scene in any of the other Guardians movies that you'd like to reshoot again, at all, or one that was more difficult, and you figured out a way to do it better in your course of doing Guardians 3?

James Gunn: I think Vol. 2 shot better than Vol. 1 in terms of the camerawork. I think Vol. 3 shot better than Vol. 2 in terms of the camera work. So, there's always camera work that I would change. I've gotten much better with the camera as time has gone on. And now that technology has gotten better as the cameras that I use, like the things that I used to want to do, I wasn't able to do. I also had less time on the first movie. So you had to move a little bit faster.

It was not the most expensive of the Marvel movies. I had to move faster, get more shots done in a day. My DP Henry now moves really fast. So, there's always things but listen, I don't want to put in the work hours. You bring up "Hey, what would you like to reshoot?" And I go, "Good God, I gotta go reshoot something?" Your making me work now? I don't want to do it! It's fine, believe me. It could be better, but I'll live with it. It's okay. I gotta go make another movie.

Chris Pratt: Remember the first one, you had to shoot every shot? Free of actors full plates of everything?

James Gunn: We did that on the second movie, too. And on the third movie, I said "I am not doing that junk no more." I said, "I'm done taking that." When you can shoot a plate after every single shot. We still do it after important shots. I shoot an empty plate, but when you shoot an empty plate after every single shot at the end of the schedule it's like a day of shooting that we could have had. If we really need something, we'll go back and shoot it and maybe take less time then this extra day of shooting from shooting the plates. I hate that.

The central members of the team for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Chris, you've been a part of the Guardians since the beginning. James is an extremely talented filmmaker and storyteller. How has he evolved as a filmmaker and storyteller throughout the course of these three films and one holiday special? And pretend he's not here.

Chris Pratt: Oh, really? He hasn't. He hasn't at all, and that's a problem. He hasn't changed. Well, sometimes people get better, and sometimes people just don't. And...

James Gunn: Not pretend that good!

Chris Pratt: [Laughs!] Listen, James has always been very, very prepared. He's known exactly what he wants to get. I think probably this film became the most liquid in finding magic in the moment that wasn't something he had predetermined in his head. I think the first film is very close to exactly what he wrote, he directed, he edited the vision that he had for the film. And I think in this film, probably there was a little bit of room for a bit of these comedic jazz solos and to kind of find something on the day and maybe relax into the creative aspect.

James Gunn: On the first movie, there's a scene where Chris talks about Kevin Bacon and Chris and I found this gift that we have. So we kind of one-up one another and make a scene better. And so we were talking about whatever and I think I brought up "The Great Legend of Footloose," and you brought up "And The Great Hero Kevin Bacon." And then and then it became the sticks up their butts after that.

Now, we didn't do that on set. We did that in my office in Shepperton, UK. But when you look at this movie, we did a similar thing when he looks over at Nebula and kind of is eyeing her like maybe he's starting to feel feelings for her. And he says, "I never noticed how black your eyes were."

Chris Pratt: Then you said to Karen... Basically we do improv where he sort of puppeteers improvisation with the various actors.

James Gunn: Oh yeah. Constantly!

Chris Pratt: Dave, say this. Karen say this. So we have this back and forth. So we take our comedic back and forth. It's constantly on and always happening. Oftentimes, it's going to be ruining these interviews, and then we just take it on the set.

James Gunn: That back and forth is now live. I've just become more free in terms of, I see a shot on set that I want to do, and it might take a little while that I didn't think of previously, and I'll do it now. On the first movie, I come from low budget filmmaking. My first movie I ever made was $350,000 for my first feature length film. And so I come from a place where you got to really move fast and shoot a lot of stuff. And I didn't let go of that on the first Guardians. I actually move too fast.

I think that I just am more willing to take the time if I see something new if I find the magic, go ahead and do it. And sometimes you don't use it. Most improv you do, and it doesn't even end up in the movie, but it's fun to do on set. It keeps things alive and then sometimes it does work, and you get to keep something.

About Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 characters

In the final chapter of the trilogy, the Guardians of the Galaxy are adjusting to life on Knowhere while Peter Quill is still reeling from the loss of Gamora. When a new threat from Rocket's past resurfaces, Peter rallies the Guardians to save one of their own and once again protect the universe. However, failure could mean the end of the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Check out our other Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 interviews here: