Chris Pratt confirms Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will begin filming in January 2019. Though Marvel is keeping a majority of their Phase 4 plans under lock and key until after Avengers 4, the third installment in James Gunn's trilogy has been confirmed since last year, when the director announced he would call the shots on Vol. 3. The expectation is for it to be one of the most important entries in the entire MCU, seeing that it supposedly sets up the next 10-20 years of Marvel movies. This will also mark the final time the current iteration of the Guardians team is on the big screen together.

Nothing has been confirmed yet, but it's long been believed Guardians 3 will eventually take one of Marvel's scheduled 2020 release dates, meaning production would have to begin at some point in 2019. Pratt previously revealed that was the plan when he wished co-star Pom Klementieff a happy birthday on social media. Now, the actor has narrowed that down to the exact month the cameras will start rolling.

In an interview with MTV to promote this month's Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Pratt stated he'll be back as Star-Lord to ring in the new year when the calendar flips to January:

I’m slated to film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in January, so we don’t know yet, time-wise, where that lines up. I’m hoping it’s not the last time you’ll see me [in the Marvel Cinematic Universe], but I can’t be sure.


We've known for a while Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set after the events of Avengers 4, which is essentially confirmation most of the Infinity War "deaths" will be undone by the time Avengers 4 is over. Pratt, Klementieff, and Dave Bautista all saw their characters perish after the Thanos snap, but they're all coming back for Vol. 3. Still, it'll be interesting to see how exactly the Guardians return and what effect (if any) that has on their psyches. Pratt is already gushing about Vol. 3's amazing story, so odds are Gunn came up with something compelling that blends the trademark heart and humor of the Guardians brand. If this is indeed the final go-around for the team, it's important to end things on a high note.

Gunn has stayed on top of his various Guardians 3 pre-production responsibilities, such as the screenplay and the soundtrack, but there are some things to take care of, including casting new roles. Mark Hamill is keen to join the franchise, and has even shared coffee with Gunn recently (whether it was to discuss Vol. 3 is unknown), but there should be announcements on the casting front in the near future considering there are just seven months until production begins.