Is Guardians of the Galaxy 4 happening? Here is every update and piece of news about the possible MCU movie, including what the story could be.

With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 firmly in the rearview mirror, here’s everything we know about a potential Guardians of the Galaxy 4 in the MCU. While GotGVol. 3 is the end of James Gunn’s Guardians franchise, there is hope in the ending with the reveal of Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3’s new Guardians team that more could follow the trilogy-ender. Gunn won’t return, given his role in relaunching the DCU for Warner Bros, but characters are eternal, and financially successful characters are bulletproof. But will there be a Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 4?

Marvel Studios has shown a willingness to expand trilogies into longer-running franchises as the MCU has continued. Thor: Love and Thunder, which included the Guardians of the Galaxy, made Thor the first solo MCU franchise to have four installments. Captain America: New World Order and the eventual MCU Spider-Man 4 will add to this trend. Given the promise of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3’s ending, Guardians of the Galaxy 4 could be another example of Marvel Studios going down this path, even if James Gunn is not involved and new team members take leading roles.

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 4 & Every Question About The Guardians Of The Galaxy’s MCU Future

Will Guardians Of The Galaxy 4 Happen?

Updates on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 4 have been few and far between, but James Gunn has suggested GotG Vol. 4 won’t happen. On top of that, Marvel Studios has yet to officially announce that the sequel is in development, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything at this stage. Marvel so far has tens of loose ends and has introduced new characters in other MCU movies and TV shows without their own greenlit projects or sequels.

Gunn’s negative responses to questions of whether Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 4 will happen also don’t necessarily mean future Guardians movies won’t happen. Gunn doesn’t own the characters, and the $850m Vol 3 pulled in at the box office is a pretty big carrot for Marvel going back to the well. Considering Bob Iger’s confirmation that Disney is pulling back on Marvel releases, it seems likely only the most financially viable will be prioritized. Moreover, Gunn clarified he hopes another filmmaker continues the Guardians’ story.

Guardians of the Galaxy 4 Has A New Guardians Team – Who Will Return?

It’s a formidable team, even with the likely caveats of Kraglin’s lack of confidence, Phyla’s age, Adam Warlock’s naivety, and the fact that Blurp seems to add very little value. Seeing how they take to protecting the Galaxy will be interesting, even if they only appear in Avengers: Secret Wars.

The Guardians of the Galaxy 4 cast is going to look very different compared to the previous three movies. The chances of the Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 3 cast returning are slim, especially as Zoe Saldaña and Dave Bautista have both been very open about the fact that they are ready to be done with the MCU and playing Gamora and Drax, respectively. Saldaña and Bautista have both stated that they think it is time for Marvel to recast the roles or move on from the characters.

Whether Karen Gillan returns as Nebula and Pom Klementieff return as Mantis will depend on how well they feel Guardians of the Galaxy 3 ended their stories. The most likely characters to return are Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel as Rocket and Groot, as well as the rest of the new Guardians team. New additions would, of course, still need to be cast.

The MCU’s Guardians of the Galaxy Story Will Continue… With The Legendary Star-Lord

The Guardians of the Galaxy 4 team should include a variety of MCU characters that have already been introduced and some new faces. Guardians of the Galaxy 3 post-credits scene introduced a team-up including Adam Warlock (Will Poulter), the recast Cosmo the Spacedog (Maria Bakalova), and Kai Zen’s Phyla. On top of them, other Marvel characters like Nova or Moondragon could join up, but here’s how the new Guardians of the Galaxy team currently looks:

Even if Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 4 doesn’t happen, Vol 3’s ending promises at least one original Guardian will return. Chris Pratt’s “Legendary Star-Lord” is promised to return to the MCU, having ended up on Earth, reunited with his grandfather. How his MCU story will continue is unclear right now: Star-Lord could return in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty or in his own Earth-set spin-off, in which he wrestles with the existential crisis of trading universal adventures for slightly weird neighbors.

Guardians of the Galaxy 4 Story: What Could Happen Next?

It is unclear what Guardians of the Galaxy 4‘s story will be about, but there is massive potential still in seeing how Rocket Raccoon takes to leading the new iteration of the Guardians. Due to the legacy of the original team, the next Guardians of the Galaxy roster will need to try and live up to this name. Coming into conflict with massive cosmic threats like the Universal Church of Truth, Shi’ar Empire, and other potential villains will also test the resolve of the new group as they learn to come together.

There’s also the nagging suspicion that there’s no way Star-Lord will be able to commit to his retirement from the Guardians, which could also form part of the plot of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 4. That may seem like too much of a backward step for some, but Chris Pratt is a big draw for the MCU, as proven by the promise of his return. So, it would be foolish to rule him out completely.

Guardians of the Galaxy 4 Potential Release Date Info

Without an official announcement, there is no Guardians of the Galaxy 4 release date set. Marvel Studios originally launched the franchise in August because it was viewed as a riskier film. Once the Guardians of the Galaxy characters became worldwide stars, they got bumped up to the prime May release slots for both sequels. The best case scenario for Guardians of the Galaxy 4‘s release date is likely Spring 2027 at the very earliest. This would make the film a part of Phase 7 and help introduce a new direction for the MCU after Avengers: Secret Wars.