Phase 4's movie slate, there was a time when it was expected to be the second film out the gate. Guardians of the Galaxy 3 was all but confirmed to be the launching point of Phase 4 before Disney momentarily fired Gunn from the movie. His voice in shaping the Guardians of the Galaxy made it almost impossible to imagine someone else helming the third film, but thankfully Disney reversed this decision and brought him back.
With Gunn back aboard Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the movie was pushed way back in the Marvel Cinematic Universe slate of content. It now officially has a May 2023 release date and will begin filming later this year once Gunn wraps work on Peacemaker. Anticipation for Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is high, though, with Gunn teasing this is the final iteration of the original Guardians team, the introduction of new characters, and set up for decades of future cosmic stories.
During a recent interview with Collider, Karen Gillan, who plays Nebula in the franchise, talked about her experience reading the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 script for the first time. She said that it is James Gunn's best work to date and mentioned that both she and Pom Klementieff cried when they read it together.
I read that script with Pom Klementieff, who plays Mantis. We read it together and we both cried and laughed, but there was full tears. It’s incredible, I think it’s James’ strongest work yet with the Guardians and it’s just brilliant. It’s brilliant and it’s emotional and it’s funny and it’s all of those things that you want.
This is not the first time we've heard about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 having such an emotional script it makes those who read it cry. James Gunn said in the past that he cried a lot when he was writing the script, which he finished prior to his firing and finalized by the end of 2020. There were also reports that multiple people who read it cried. All signs point to Guardians of the Galaxy 3 being an emotional experience for those involved and fans. The high quality of Gunn's work is likely why Marvel Studios reportedly was very keen on using the script even if he didn't return to direct.
With multiple individuals involved in Guardians of the Galaxy 3 crying while reading the script, it further begs the question about what exactly Gunn has in store. The franchise is best known for its comedy, but it also has some of the most emotional moments in the entire MCU. Yondu's death and funeral in the sequel, in particular, stands out as an example of Gunn's ability to draw tears from audiences. There is already ample speculation that Drax and Rocket Racoon will die by the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and both of those deaths could explain why people get so emotional with the script. Gillan could also have had such a strong reaction based on how Nebula's arc evolves. With the movie still years away, fans have a while longer to prepare themselves for their own waterworks.
Source: Collider
