Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 won’t start filming for at least another year, according to director James Gunn. Often regarded as an example of the Marvel Cinematic Universe at its most experimental and sentimental, the franchise about a bunch of unlikely heroes in space wasn’t always such a guaranteed hit. In the run-up to the first Guardians film, many industry analysts and fans discussed the ways in which Star-Lord and his team could be considered a risk for Marvel. Most of the skepticism rested on the fact that the characters were too unknown and too esoteric to resonate with large swaths of the moviegoing audiences. Another worry considered the setting, removed from Earth, which might make the blockbuster an even tougher sell. Marvel had taken big swings before. But, at the time, it seemed like Guardians was far and away the biggest.

It paid off. During its opening weekend, the film raked in well over $94 million. This counted as a bigger opening weekend than other comic book franchises, which featured household names for protagonists, like The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and X-Men: Days of Future Past. The first installment, propelled by positive reviews and a growing fandom, would eventually reach more than $770 million at the worldwide box office. A sequel was released in 2017, maintaining the vibe of the original, and achieving similar success. A third outing is on the way, although it will take a while before hitting theaters.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was announced in April 2017. However, due to the uncertainty involved with Gunn being fired and then reinstated to his post as director, the project has stalled. As noted by ComicBook, he won’t be turning his focus to Marvel until he wraps up the Suicide Squad sequel. Asked on his Instagram page about when fans might expect the third installment of Guardians, Gunn replied that he won’t start filming “for another year or so.” This means that the movie might be released in 2023 or, at the earliest, in the later months of 2022.

For all of the valid debate about superhero saturation, Vol. 3 is only one of the highly-anticipated sequels that won’t be premiering for a while. Black Panther 2 is another example, with the sequel debuting in 2022. That’s four years after the record-breaking original. Rather than flood the market with what viewers want to see, Marvel seems to be taking an admirably deliberate approach to some of its hottest titles.

In the case of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the behind the scenes tumult wasn’t planned. But it might have the same result in the end, allowing Gunn, and his collaborators on every level, to come up with the perfect trilogy for a franchise that almost no one was willing to bet on.

More: Every Upcoming Marvel Movie (2020 - 2022)

Source: ComicBook

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