Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Will Finish Rocket's Story, James Gunn Says

The third Guardians of the Galaxy movie isn't coming out anytime soon. It doesn't even have a release date. However, we know for sure that writer/director James Gunn is back on board after being fired and rehired by Disney's Marvel Studios. Before he heads back to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, though, Gunn is making The Suicide Squad for DC Entertainment.

Still, that doesn't mean he's not thinking about what's to come of the Guardians. In an interview with Deadline that explores his firing, Gunn shares what sounds like the aspect of Guardians Vol. 3 he's most excited about, and that's Rocket's (Bradley Cooper) story.

"I relate to Rocket and I feel compassion for Rocket, but I also feel like his story has not been completed," he explained. "He has an arc that started in the first movie, continued into the second and goes through Infinity War and Endgame, and then I was set to really finish that arc in Guardians 3. That was a big loss to me—not being able to finish that story—-though I was comforted by the fact that they were still planning to use my script."

While the Guardians movies--and much of their roles in the larger MCU--have been among the most comedic moments in the franchise, these characters also haven't shied away from telling serious and sometimes heartbreaking stories. Whether it's Gamora's (Zoe Saldana) relationship with her father and sister, or Drax (Dave Bautista) mourning the deaths of his family at the hands of Thanos (Josh Brolin), there's plenty to feel for in those movies. And while Rocket is, perhaps, the funniest piece of the puzzle, his story has also been a harrowing one.

Beginning with his genetic enhancement, which is called being "torn apart and put back together over and over again and turned into some little monster," the character has been a tragic one. And his relationship with Groot (Vin Diesel) makes him an incredibly sympathetic figure.

While Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) losing Peter Parker (Tom Holland) in Avengers: Infinity War was seen as the movie's most emotional moment, Rocket watching Groot turn to dust and blow away, at which he offered a mortified "No..." is heart-wrenching.

Given that Gunn wrote the script for Vol. 3 before he was fired, he's clearly known where Rocket would end up for some time. Now it'll be interesting to see what resolution looks like for a character that has been put through so much.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 does not have a release date. However, there is a slew of Marvel dates on the upcoming Disney slate of films.