The third and final installment of the Marvel trilogy will premiere on May 5.
"It's imagination, music, beautiful imagery. It's really a fantastic story from the brain of a mad genius, James Gunn."
So says Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt in ET's exclusive look behind the scenes of the final film in the beloved trilogy, Vol. 3.
Alongside Pratt, Guardians stars Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista and Karen Gillan open up about shooting the new film, sharing insights into their characters' next cosmic adventure and the imagery that director James Gunn brought to life in the third and final installment of the franchise.
"To be reunited with this family for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is really fantastic," Pratt shares in the clip. Saldana adds, "We're genuine fans so there's something really sweet about geeking out on set."
"Guardians is about humor, it's about action and it's about cosmic adventures," Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios, says as footage of the rascally space travelers flashes by. "But it's really about this found family."
Calling the film a "Rocket origin story," Gillian shares that viewers will learn more about the anamorphic raccoon voiced by Bradley Cooper than ever before. The previously released trailer alluded to Rocket Raccoon being the final film's center with flashes of his origins as an innocent animal who gets turned into what he is today through cruel experiments.
But, as Feige says, the trilogy's heart lies in its found family, which is tested like never before in this new installment. "Everything that drives it is that emotional center of all these characters who are all outsiders," Gunn explains.
"It's another rock opera. It's really fantastic and it wraps it up in a way that really only James could," Pratt concludes.
As previously revealed, the film will give fans a proper introduction to Will Poulter's Adam Warlock as the gang prepares for their heartbreaking farewells.
Back in November, Gunn told ET that the tone of the final film in the trilogy is much more emotional than any of his previous Marvel films.
"It's got the fun that we expect from the Guardians," he assured. "But it's also an incredibly serious story in some ways, where we tell the end of the story of the Guardians and the end of the story of Rocket and where he came from. We need to go back to the beginning to tell the ending."
"I think at the heart of it, it's always been emotional," he said of concluding the Guardians' story. "The Guardians journey started with a boy watching his mother die in front of him and going away, you know, running off to another place... I think that many of us, in different ways, we've escaped our childhood traumas, and gone to someplace else. And that's at the core of the Guardians story."
It's the end of an era for Gunn as well. The director and Peter Safran were announced as the co-chairpersons and CEOs of the newly rebranded DC Studios in October, meaning Guardians Vol. 3 will be his final Marvel film.
"At least for the time being," he couched. "I mean, never say never. Who knows? But for the time being, yeah."
As for how he feels he's left the characters? "I think you have to see Vol. 3 to find out," Gunn teased. "We'll see where they go. But this is definitely the end of their stories, this specific group of Guardians."
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 opens in theaters May 5.
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