Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (marketed as Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3) is a 2023 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the superhero team Guardians of the Galaxy. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), and the 32nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Written and directed by James Gunn, it features an ensemble cast including Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Will Poulter, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Linda Cardellini, Nathan Fillion, and Sylvester Stallone. In the film, the other Guardians race to save the life of Rocket (Cooper) from his creator, the High Evolutionary (Iwuji), who is an alien scientist trying to perfect the universe.

James Gunn had initial ideas for a third and final Guardians of the Galaxy film by November 2014, and announced his return to write and direct in April 2017 ahead of Vol. 2's release. Vol. 3 explores the origin story of Rocket, with whom Gunn personally identifies. Disney fired Gunn from Vol. 3 in July 2018 after controversial jokes he made on Twitter resurfaced. Gunn received support from several cast members, and the studio reversed course by that October. His return was publicly revealed in March 2019, and he restarted work on the film after completing his film The Suicide Squad (2021) and the first season of its spin-off series Peacemaker (2022) for DC Films. New cast members, including Iwuji and Poulter, joined by the start of filming, which took place at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, from November 2021 to May 2022.