Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: James Gunn reveals Rocket was his motivation to return

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will bring the journey of our favorite space-faring Marvel team to a close — and the film will mark the end of James Gunn’s tenure with Marvel Studios. Gunn is taking the creative reins at the DC Extended Universe, where he now serves as co-chair and CEO opposite of Peter Safran.

Given Marvel’s firing and rehiring of Gunn several years ago, some fans were surprised the director agreed to helm the final Guardians of the Galaxy film at all. But it’s clear Gunn cares deeply about these movies and characters. And there’s one whose story he really wanted to finish telling.

During a recent interview with Total Film (courtesy of Yahoo Entertainment), Gunn explained how much he wanted to complete Rocket’s journey in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

“The most important thing for me was Rocket’s story, and then, following that, everybody else,” Gunn admitted. “Rocket is the secret protagonist of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and has always been the center of it for me; and this is really fulfilling that.”

In fact, Rocket’s character arc was so important to Gunn, he credits it for his return to the franchise.

“The reason I came back, and decided to do this movie, was because I really felt like Rocket’s story needed to be told — and it was left hanging after Vol 2. So that’s the most important thing,” he said.

Judging by Marvel’s trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, moviegoers will get an in-depth look at Rocket’s creation and backstory. They’ll also get an ending for his character arc — and for the current Guardians of the Galaxy team (though whether it’s a happy one remains to be seen).

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be the last hurrah for “this team”

That’s right, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will mark the end of the line for the current Guardians team. James Gunn revealed as much during an appearance on Deadline’s Hero Nation podcast.

“This is the end for us, the last time people will see this team of Guardians,” Gunn said. He went on to promise a conclusion that’s “so big and dark, and different from what people might be expecting.”

That leaves us nervous heading into this final chapter, where fans are already predicting which members of the Guardians team will perish. After all, a clean-cut, happy ending seems unlikely — but we can hope, can’t we?

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters on May 5, 2023.

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