James Gunn, director of some of the riskiest superhero efforts in recent years, spoke to Deadline about the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and how this third adventure of the unlikely group of heroes will be the last time they are going to be seen together.

It seems that director James Gunn has a knack for stories told from the perspective of the villain, the anti-hero or the unwilling hero. This last decade he has played a major role in the creative process of both the MCU and the DCEU with movies such as Guardians of the Galaxy, volumes one and two and The Suicide Squad, episodes one and two.

He has now recently revealed in the Hero Nation Podcast how the third adventure of the intergalactic space pirates will be the end of the franchise. “I’m aware that the third film in most trilogies sucks; not always,” promises the man behind the cameras.

Gunn also understands that, in order to keep audiences on their toes, things have to change as he explains how the third film will be vastly different to the two previous ones, “It’s so, so big and dark and different from what people might be expecting it to be.”

“This is the end for us, the last time people will see this team of Guardians”, thus confirming that the third installment will also be the final chapter for many if not all the characters of this franchise.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to release on May 23, 2023.