Director James Gunn and Chris Pratt Talk 'Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3'
Moviefone speaks with James Gunn and Chris Pratt about 'Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3.' "We really put our hearts and souls in this movie," Gunn said.
‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3,’ which is the third feature film in the franchise and the 32nd Marvel Cinematic Universe movie overall, and is once again written and directed by James Gunn (‘The Suicide Squad’), opens in theaters on May 5th.
What is the plot of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3?’
Following the events of ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ the Guardians of the Galaxy are adjusting to life on Knowhere when Rocket's (Bradley Cooper) past comes back to haunt him.
After an attack from Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) injures Rocket, the Guardians learn of his origins and confront his creator, the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji). Meanwhile, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is still coming to terms with the “new” Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), who is now a Ravager. In order to save their friend, the Guardians must go on a dangerous mission that could lead to the team dissolving if they fail.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Who is in the cast of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3?’
‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3’ once again stars returning MCU actors Chris Pratt ('Jurassic World Dominion') as Peter Quill / Star-Lord, Zoe Saldaña ('Avatar: The Way of Water') as Gamora, Dave Bautista ('Knock at the Cabin') as Drax the Destroyer, Karen Gillan ('Jumanji: The Next Level') as Nebula, Pom Klementieff ('Uncut Gems') as Mantis, Vin Diesel ('Fast X') as Groot, Bradley Cooper ('A Star is Born') as Rocket, Sean Gunn ('The Suicide Squad') as Kraglin Obfonteri, Elizabeth Debicki ('Tenet') as Ayesha, Sylvester Stallone ('Rocky') as Stakar Ogord, and Maria Bakalova ('Borat Subsequent Moviefilm') as Cosmo the Spacedog.
Joining the cast are actors Chukwudi Iwuji ('Peacemaker') as the High Evolutionary, and Will Poulter ('We're the Millers') as Adam Warlock.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with writer and director James Gunn and Chris Pratt about their work on ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3,’ telling Rocket’s story, what the franchise has meant to Pratt, and what fans can expect from the new film.
(L to R) James Gunn and Chris Pratt attend the 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood CA on Thursday, April 27, 2023. Photo: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview with Gunn and Pratt.
Moviefone: To begin with, James, what would you tell fans sitting down to watch this movie now to prepare them for the theater experience they are about to have?
James Gunn: I know so many of you have grown up with ‘Guardians of the Galaxy.’ So many of you have seen and supported us over the years. We're so grateful to you for that and we really put our hearts and souls in this movie. We put in every ounce of everything we could, and I hope you guys enjoy it from the bottom of my heart.
Marvel Studio's 'Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3.' Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
MF: Chris, what would you say to the fans to get them ready for this movie?
Chris Pratt: First of all, I'd say thank you. Thank you. You sitting down in these seats right now are the reason the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ are the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy.’ We've been able to full on live our dreams because of the support of the greatest fans in the world. Thank you so much. We really owe it all to you. James is extraordinary. He's led me on this journey and he's created what I think is the best of the three films. Buckle up and I hope you have some tissues nearby.
Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) in Marvel Studios' 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.' Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 Marvel.
Related Article: Movie Review: 'Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3'
MF: James, can you talk about the decision to tell Rocket’s origin story in this movie and how his journey is the heart of the franchise?
JG: I've always thought of Rocket as sort of the heart of the ‘Guardian’s story. In a lot of ways he's the least mature of the characters, he's just been a very angry guy. I think that throughout the series we see characters do heroic things. Rocket does heroic things, but it's only been for himself or for his friends. He doesn't really have a sense of empathy for anyone beyond that, and this is a movie about how he became that way. We go back to where he was born, how he came about, how he was created by the High Evolutionary, and we learn everything about him and his tragic past.
(L to R) Karen Gillan as Nebula, Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord, and Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer in 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.' Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
MF: Finally, Chris, can you talk about your ‘Guardians’ experience, what playing Star-Lord, working on this franchise, and creating friendships with the cast and James has meant to you?
CP: It's just now starting to hit me how grateful I am to have had a friend in James. It's been amazing. He's made my life. He's changed my life. He's changed the life of me and my family, my children, and probably their children. He took me by the hand. He found a working actor who had already at that point done way better than most people who come out to town. I wasn't a waiter any longer, I was a series regular on a show. I was getting recognition. He brought me to a whole new level that ultimately changed the entire way the industry saw me. I no longer was auditioning. That was the last audition I ever had. So he changed my life.
(L to R) Writer and director James Gunn and Chris Pratt from 'Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3.'
Other Movies Similar to ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3:’
- ‘Guardians of the Galaxy' (2014)
- ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' (2017)
- 'Avengers: Infinity War' (2018)
- ‘Avengers: Endgame' (2019)
- 'The Suicide Squad' (2021)
- 'The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special' (2022)
- 'Thor: Love and Thunder' (2022)
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Witten and directed by James Gunn, the Sci-Fi action adventure comedy 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ is scheduled for release from Marvel Studios on May 5th 2023.
