Director James Gunn has teased that his tenure with the Marvel Cinematic Universe will conclude with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The team of misfits and outlaws first appeared in the comics back in 1969, but with a vastly different line-up. The modern incarnation debuted in 2008, before bursting onto the big screen back in 2014. The success of Vol. 1 made household names of such characters as Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), and Groot (Vin Diesel). It also officially launched the combined franchise away from Earth and deeper into the cosmos. An equally successful sequel was released in 2017. Most recently, however, the characters were seen teaming up with some of the Earth-based heroes to fight Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

The third standalone installment has enjoyed its own tumultuous journey over the last few years. After being fired by Disney over some past social media posts, Gunn was hired to write and direct the DC Comics follow-up, The Suicide Squad. He has since been at work shooting the film with an expanded cast that will mix such newcomers as Idris Elba, John Cena, and Nathan Fillion with returning stars Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang, and Viola Davis as Amanda Waller. In a later development, it was announced that Gunn had been rehired to helm Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and officially round out the trilogy.

Related: Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Is Still On Track According To James Gunn

During a Q&A on Instagram, Gunn revealed that he could well be done with the standalone franchise (and the MCU overall) after that. Stating that Gunn worked on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 despite saying he wasn't going to, a user asked what the chances were of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 4. First of all, Gunn corrected the notion that he wasn't going to work on the first sequel, stating that he'd "planned to do a trilogy from the beginning if the first one worked out". Gunn then added that he has "no plans to do a fourth". Check out the full reply below:

James Gunn Q and A No Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 4

The plot of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has remained understandably under wraps. Given how certain threads left off, however, it's expected that Star-Lord tracking down the universe's new (and currently missing) version of Gamora will play a part. Equally, the Guardians have a lingering threat to potentially deal with - in the form of a grudge-holding Ayesha and her new creation, which may or may not be Adam Warlock. What is known, however, is that Rocket will have a big role in the film and that the script was deemed to be a major tear-jerker. The latter statement has recently been lent credence, with Gunn also revealing during the Q&A that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will feature a death.

The news will no doubt be met with a mixed reaction. On one hand, it won't be much of a surprise. Most of the individual franchises have concluded with a third outing, with only Thor confirmed for a fourth adventure in Thor: Love and Thunder. On the other, even with so many new additions coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, fans will still be disappointed at the thought of no more Guardians of the Galaxy adventures. And while Gunn's departure could still mean that the dysfunctional team returns with somebody else at the helm, it's hard to envision the characters and solo franchise in anybody else's hands once Gunn has completed his long-planned trilogy.

More: Marvel Phase 4 Can Explain Rocket's Origin Story & Body Scars

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has yet to receive an official release date.

Source: James Gunn/Instagram

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