Most of the world has yet to see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but that won't stop director James Gunn from beginning work on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The director recently announced he is returning to write and direct the third installment of the franchise after previously remaining non-committal. His continued stay in the Marvel Cinematic Universe will bring the team into the Phase 4 slate, and it will also see Gunn establish the next decade of the MCU.

With Vol. 2 receiving positive early reviews, Gunn appears to have another big hit on his hands. While the director's success warrants some time off, he won't wait too long before starting work on the next chapter.

Screen Rant had the chance to talk to Gunn at a press junket in the lead up to the sequel's red carpet premiere. With everything Vol. 2 related -- minus the press tours -- behind him, Gunn revealed he will begin working on the third movie soon.

"I have a little work to do on Infinity War, but I'll be going straight into it. For a while, it becomes more like a regular job, which is really good. You know, for the past year or so, or more, it's been seven days a week, all the time working on this movie, and so for a little while I'll be able to have some downtime, and do a couple trips and see, you know, see the world a little bit, but also work."

Gunn has a deep love for the Guardians characters and it shows with his decision to continue telling their story. While there is always the possibility of the director burning himself out, he will be taking some time to relax before diving into Vol. 3. As he will be the first director to lead an entire trilogy in the MCU, any time off is well-deserved.

Thanks to the expanded roster of Vol. 2 and the Guardians' future interactions in Avengers: Infinity War, there is no telling where precisely the third installment will go. With his eagerness to begin work so soon, Gunn likely already has a rough idea of where he wants this story to start and end. Whenever "soon" happens to be, it should allow the director with plenty of time to craft his ideal vision.

Stay tuned to Screen Rant for more from our interview with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 director James Gunn.

Next: Guardians of the Galaxy 2 First Reactions: The Film Exceeds Expectations

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