It's hard to believe how in an alternate timeline, fans would have had Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 nearly two years ago, on May 1, 2020. Thanks to a big Twitter scandal and that not-so-minor pandemic event, the release never happened. Instead, audiences still have an entire year left to go before they can see their favorite group of ragtag cosmic misfits take center stage.
While the group will show up in at least a minor capacity for Chris Hemsworth's upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder, that only serves to soften the blow. It'll be great to see them on-screen on any level, but at the end of the day, it won't be their story.
Well, now, it looks like both Vol. 3 and The Holiday Special are finally reaching the finish line, and getting that much closer to being released to audiences worldwide. But who's the first to make it to the finish line? The lucky contender seems to be none other than Pom Klementieff's Mantis!
A Guardian Celebrates Wrap
On Instagram, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 star Pom Klementieff, who portrays Mantis, posted to celebrate her wrap on the upcoming threequel.
The star celebrated by making a cake for the cast and crew, exclaiming how she "[love[s] [her] Guardians of the Galaxy family," and that "[they] are Groot forever:"
"Love my Guardians of the Galaxy family! I wrapped #GotGVol3 , here is a cake I made :blush: We are Groot forever"
The aforementioned baked goods can be seen below, including a candy buffet and the aforementioned cake:
A couple of her fellow Guardians commented on her celebratory post. The film's director, James Gunn, posted a few heart emojis, and Vin Diesel (Groot) added an affectionate emoji himself. Avengers: Endgame star Lexi Rabe, who played Morgan Stark, also replied, noting how the cake was "so cute."
Guardians of the Galaxy 3 Approaches the Finish Line
While it seems Mantis may be wrapped on the project, the whole project isn't quite done yet—but it is close. James Gunn recently posted on April 13 that they had thirteen days left of shooting to complete. This would place everyone's wrap for the very end of April, potentially into the first few days of May.
It's been a long journey since the movie started filming back on November 9, 2021. Hopefully, the rest of her co-stars don't get too jealous of Klementieff's early finish. Though, they'll all be back sooner or later, given Marvel Studios' tendency for reshoots.
Out of all the people to comment on Klementieff's photo, the most noteworthy is Lexi Rabe, aka Morgan Stark. While her engagement with the Instagram post is far from any confirmation of her involvement in either Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 or the Holiday Special, it would be pretty emotional if, say, Nebula came back to Earth to give Tony Stark's kid a Christmas present.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters on May 5, 2023, while The Holiday Special is aiming for a release by the end of this year.
