James Gunn Teases Runtime for GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 and Says "Not a Second Is Wasted"
James Gunn has been talking a lot about DC films recently, but when a fan asked him on Twitter about the rumored runtime for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the director responded with a comment that is sure to make fans happy.
The rumored runtime for the film is two hours and 29 minutes, and in response to that Gunn explained that not a second is wasted in the movie:
“It’s around that long, although that’s not yet exact. And, I promise, not a second is wasted. There’s no fat. It was necessary to experience the full arc for every major Guardians character, not only for this film, but for the trilogy (or, I should say, trilogy plus).
The whole “trilogy plus” comment also threw fans for a loop and many took that to mean that more movies were coming. But, he clarified that the “plus” included projects like the Holiday Special and Endgame. So, this third film in the franchise will close out the story that he set out to tell with these characters.
In Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, “Our beloved band of misfits are settling into life on Knowhere, but it isn't long before their lives are upended by the echoes of Rocket's turbulent past. Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him on a dangerous mission to save Rocket's life – a mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them."
Gunn previously talked about Rocket and how that character is the reason why he came back to make this third film. He explained:
"One of the reasons why I came back to [make] this movie was because I felt like I needed to tell Rocket's story. I would've been very sad not to complete the trilogy for many reasons, but I just feel very connected to Rocket. I feel like nobody would be able to tell his full story if it wasn't me.
"To me, Rocket has always been the secret protagonist of the Guardians movies. From the beginning, it has been rooted in who he is as a character. I think he exemplifies a lot of the traits of all the Guardians. They've had all these traumas, and it brings them together. I just think that his is more extreme than others.
"He was just fine being an animal, and he was transformed into something else he didn't want to be. I think that transformation itself was extremely painful, but I also think it made him feel incredibly alienated from everyone else. In Vol. 3, we learn a lot about his past — where he came from, who he is, and what he's been through. It's been a difficult road for the little animal.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 stars Chris Pratt as Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Sean Gunn as Kraglin/on-set Rocket, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, and Vin Diesel as Groot. New additions to the cast also include Will Poulter as Adam Warlock and Chukwudi Iwuji as the High Evolutionary as well as Daniela Melchior, Nico Santos, and Borat Subsequent Moviefilm's Maria Bakalova as Cosmo the Spacedog.
Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 opens in U.S. theaters on May 5th.