If you have already seen Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and can't wait for another serving of Groot (we get it, we are Groot, too), prepare to wait until 2020 for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
After the successful showing of GOTGV2, Director James Gunn confirmed the third part of Guardians of the Galaxy franchise will take place after Avengers 4. However, the movie will not show until 2019. With a packed Marvel Cinematic Universe schedule, Vol. 3 may come out by 2020 the earliest.
Vol. 3 After 'Avengers 3' (And 4)
Gunn broke the news via his Twitter account. When asked if Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be a prequel to the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War, Gunn gave a very revealing answer:
No. Vol. 3 will take place AFTER Avengers 3 & 4. https://t.co/5QCiH5fU55
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) May 2, 2017
That he announced it this early may come as a surprise to some Marvel fans, but Gunn had earlier confirmed that he'll be coming back to direct the third movie. In fact, he's already begun writing the script. He was reported to be discussing the story with star Chris Pratt and having "pretty intense conversations" with Zoe Saldana about her crucial role in the three-quel. Gamora fighting adoptive father Thanos with the Infinity Stones? Now that is pretty intense.
Given the massive success of the franchise, it is not surprising that Gunn's schedule will be filled to the brim. He plans to take some relaxing trips, though, to get his head on straight "after three years of waking up and going to sleep and thinking about a talking raccoon."
Marvel Cinematic Universe Timeline
The release timeline of Marvel Cinematic Universe films is as long as the queue of people in the cinemas. Here are the films:
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (May 5; earlier release worldwide) Star-Lord and the gang will go looking for his daddy. Expect family drama with action and lots of Baby Groot.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (July 7) This is Spidey's first movie under MCU (after rights deal with Sony). New reboot, new actor starring fresh-faced Tom Holland.
Thor: Ragnarok (November 3) The third part in the Thor saga. The trailer showed Hulk battling Thor. This should be exciting.
Black Panther (Feb. 16, 2018) The first solo adventure of T'Challa in the big screen after getting warm reception during his appearance in Captain America: Civil War.
Avengers: Infinity War (May 4, 2018) The protectors of the Earth will face off against the Mad Titan, Thanos.
Ant-Man and The Wasp (July 6, 2018) The sequel to the surprise 2015 hit Ant-Man starring Paul Rudd. Also, the first MCU movie featuring a superheroine in its title (The Wasp).
Captain Marvel (March 8, 2019) The first MCU superheroine in her own movie. Stars Brie Larson as Carol Danvers aka the titular Captain Marvel.
Avengers 4 (May 3, 2019) The final title isn't official yet, but this will be a continuation of the Infinity War arc that will probably be the climax of the battle against Thanos. Again, probably.
Spider-Man sequel (July 5, 2019) Sony and Marvel announced the yet-unnamed sequel after the release of the Homecoming trailer. No one is complaining.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2020?) Star-Lord and the gang will be back! When? We wait.
