With James Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad” upon us next week and with the spin-off “Peacemaker” series having wrapped filming, Gunn isn’t taking much of a break and has reportedly locked in filming dates for Marvel Studios’ “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”.
Gunn was committed to a third ‘Guardians’ years ago but social media controversy saw that film being put on hold for a few years. Speaking with Collider this week, he confirmed that despite the time that has passed, the script has been near completion since about a year after the last film opened back in 2017:
“It’s basically been finished for years. I keep fiddling with different things and adding things, and figuring out permutations and stuff – I’m in the middle of doing another draft now – but it’s really small stuff in comparison to what it has been. Its basically been finished since three years ago.”
Filming on the new ‘Guardians’ is set to begin in Atlanta this November. All that’s known about the new film is that it’s said to be quite emotional, with Gunn also confirming events take place after those in “Thor: Love and Thunder”.
One key element that will have to be dealt with is the death of Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and the alternate version that remains in the wake of “Avengers: Endgame”. Whatever he intends to do, Gunn says Marvel hasn’t burdened him with having to setup much of anything else in the MCU:
“The only time they ever [asked me to include something for future MCU movies] was on the first movie with Thanos, putting Thanos in there. Which they wanted me to do. But besides that they’ve never done that.
I have to pay attention to things that happen, which they did talk to me about – the stuff with Gamora and things like that. I know that the characters have been through certain things, so I have to deal with that stuff. But for the most part, they never once asked me to put anything in the script for Volume 3 to set up anything in the future. Nor would I do it, frankly, it’s not really my thing.”
One place it’s likely we will see some of those story threads picked up from ‘Endgame’ and the like is the “Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special,” the one-off Disney+ event that will air December 2022 – five months before the third film arrives.
Gunn tells the outlet that the special, which is aiming to clock in at just under 40 minutes runtime, is officially a part of Marvel continuity:
“It’s in-canon, it’s about the Guardians, you’re gonna learn stuff that you need to learn before Volume 3, and it’s great I’m really happy with it. I’m gonna film it at the same time as the movie. I’m using a lot of the same sets, the same actors obviously, so we’re filming simultaneously with the film but it’s gonna have to be edited and finished soon.”
Gunn also discussed wild possibilities with others like Jake’s Takes, saying if he could do a Marvel/DC crossover film it would be a “Harley Quinn and Groot movie”.
The talk comes as “The Suicide Squad” has scored rave social media reaction online from those who’ve seen it early. In addition a new featurette about the film is out and promises that a lot of characters are going to die:
