The latest installment in the 'Guardians' series hits theaters on May 5, 2023.
Marvel Studios’ appearance at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con did not disappoint. Including a number of new updates on upcoming projects in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, president Kevin Feige shared the first official look at Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Written and directed by James Gunn, the latest installment in the Guardians series stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff while also welcoming Elizabeth Debicki, Sylvester Stallone, Will Poulter, Maria Bakalova and Nico Santos to the franchise.
Gunn took the stage with Feige, reminiscing about pitching him the original Guardians concept a decade ago, nearly to the day.
"It's been a good 10 years, Feige praised, before Gunn confirmed that "this is the end of that story," seemingly confirming this is the final film in the Guardians saga.
The first look at the threequel -- set to hit theaters on May 5, 2023 -- shows the return of Gamora (Saldana), as well as a younger version of Rocket Raccoon (Cooper), hinting that we'll be exploring his backstory. There is also a shot of Poulter's debut as Adam Warlock.
The cast -- including Poulter and Bakalova -- then took the stage to the cheers of the Hall H crowd, getting emotional as they watched the footage for the first time.
Pratt shared that Vol. 3 will be, in part, about the Guardians recovering from the events of Avengers: Endgame, noting that his character, Peter Quill, is "reeling.. the pain of that is a big part of his journey."
"He spends the movie trying to makeup for the mistake of being checked out over this enormous amount of pain," the actor added.
Marvel added in their press release that "Our beloved band of misfits are looking a bit different these days. Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him to defend the universe along with protecting one of their own. A mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them."
Poulter said he was "truly, truly grateful" to be joining the cast, while Bakalova said she had a "great time" playing Cosmo, noting, "I felt like I was doing something meaningful... I hope you love Cosmo!"
The preview of the upcoming sequel, which is slated to hit theaters on May 5, 2023, comes just two months after the movie officially wrapped production. During filming, Gunn took to social media to share several updates about the film and its sprawling cast, while later revealing that Poulter was “killing it” on set.
When ET caught up with Poulter and asked him about Gunn’s support on set, he said, “I’m having a blast.”
“Even in giving me the role, you know, meant a lot,” he continued, referring to his part as Adam Warlock. “And the fact that he’s been complimentary in saying that -- I mean, I have no evidence to prove that that’s true, that I’m killing it whatsoever -- it’s very kind.”
Poulter added, “James’ direction is fantastic. It affords so much opportunity for improvisation and experimentation.”
See below for more of Entertainment Tonight’s ongoing coverage of Comic-Con 2022, including the daily schedule and biggest highlights of the weekend:
