Guardians of the Galaxy 4 Return Hopes Are Split Amongst the Cast

Even though Guardians of the Galaxy 4 isn't necessarily on the table for Marvel, the franchise's cast has mixed feelings about making it happen. 2023's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 concluded this chapter of the team's story before director James Gunn took his talents to the DC Universe and became DC Studios' co-CEO. Now, with Guardians content lacking in the MCU, the question turns to whether their adventure could continue on the big screen.

Guardians of the Galaxy stars Michael Rooker, Pom Klementieff, and Sean Gunn addressed the chances of Marvel making Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 4. During a panel at Emerald City Comic-Con (per CBR), Gunn had mixed feelings about returning for a fourth movie, explaining that it would depend on "who wrote that script and who was putting it together." While he admits the decision is "above [his] pay grade," he did not seem opposed:

"In some ways, it's almost like a little above my pay grade. It's like, if they decide to do it, if they decide that they can put the pieces together and get the right cast, and get a script that they really like and that works, then it would depend on who wrote that script and who was putting it together. And by that point there would probably already be somebody who was part of it, so I don’t know."

Rooker was definitive in his answer, comparing his time in this franchise to his work with The Walking Dead. Calling the third movie "incredible," he was thankful it did not go on further, saying there was "nothing to be gained by adding installments" only to generate more money:

"The third one was incredible, but also heartbreaking because we knew it would be the last one, so it’s really special that way. The Christmas special was so fun to shoot, so I just loved it so much. Thank goodness it didn’t go on further. ... It would become like 'The Walking Dead' ... Please, enough already."

As for Klementieff, a fourth movie was never on her mind, as she and the team never talked about making Vol. 4 happen:

"I don’t know. We never talked about a Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 4. It was always imagined as a trilogy."

Following Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the only Guardians project released after that was Season 2 of I Am Groot, which debuted on Disney+ in September 2023. Before Vol. 3 was released, director James Gunn confirmed that it would be his final film in the franchise, which preceded his full-time move to DC Studios.

Will Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 4 Happen in the MCU?

James Gunn shows no signs of leaving DC Studios, as he continues to push forward with his Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters slate alongside partner Peter Safran. Coming to the big and small screen this year with Supergirl, Lanterns, and Clayface, he will be as busy as ever while the MCU moves ahead with its own slate of content.

There are also no official plans to bring the Guardians back to the big screen, even with rumors suggesting they will appear in at least one of the next two Avengers movies (whose casts are expected to be massive). Should they return, however, the odds are high that it will be under somebody different, thanks to Gunn's new job with Marvel's top competitor.

While Phase 7 is still in the early stages of development, the Guardians could certainly have a place in that greater story once plans are made public.

Unfortunately, considering the Guardians' future is so uncertain as of early 2026, it will likely be some time until fans hear anything about whether they could be back in action in future movies.