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Credit: Marvel StudiosJames Gunn has all but left Marvel behind, but he still has one final movie to give to the fans of the MCU. That movie is Guardians of the Galaxy 3, AKA Vol. 3, AKA GotG Vol. 3.
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Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is set to premiere on May 5 and will wrap up the story for everyone’s favorite ragtag group of superheroes and serve as the sendoff for director James Gunn. Gunn has repeatedly confirmed that this is the final time Marvel fans will see this team together.
That is not to say that many of the team won’t be holdouts for potential future MCU appearances, but many of the actors have confirmed their wish to move past their respective characters. Zoe Saldana and Dave Bautista have been the most vocal about leaving Marvel behind.
With the presumed departure of many Guardians characters, it stands to reason that there might be more than one death in this final chapter. That would require a lengthier movie, which James Gunn has coyly confirmed via social media.
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A fan asked James Gunn on Instagram how long Vol.3 would be, to which the director responded, “It’s longer than 1 & 2.”
Taken out of context, that sounds like a little bit of information, but when one researches how long the first two Guardians movies were, Gunn has given the world some good news.
For instance, Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) has a of 2 hours and 2 minutes runtime. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) has a 2 hours and 17 minutes runtime. That means that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be more than 2 hours and 17 minutes and will set a franchise record for length.
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The trailers have revealed that Rocket’s (Bradley Cooper) backstory will finally take center stage. Also, the Holiday Special had a big reveal that Mantis is Peter Quill’s sister, so that story will also return.
Those stories are likely going to join the full backstory of Gamora (Zoe Saldana) to deliver one final emotional thrill ride.
There is a lot to wrap up in this final chapter, and it stands to reason that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will push the limits and possibly be closer to a 3-hour runtime. Gunn has not stated that outright, but his confirmation that the final chapter will exceed its predecessors’ runtime does mean that Marvel fans are in for an epic final chapter.
How long do you think Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments!