Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3: UK cinema release date, cast, and plot - will Marvel film sequel be on Disney+?

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special may have just landed on Disney+ but many Marvel fans are eagerly awaiting the next proper Guardians film. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has had a tumultuous journey so far - director James Gunn was fired from the film in 2018 over old controversial tweets, but reinstated later in the year.

Gunn, who has also worked on the DC products The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, helmed the first two Guardians films. The film will be the second Phase 5 Marvel film following Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania which is set for a February release. This is everything we know about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 so far:

Who is in the cast of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?

The sequel will see the return of the seven core Guardian cast members - Chris Pratt as Peter Quill, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax, Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Karen Gillan as Nebula, and Pom Klementieff as Mantis.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will also feature other cast members including:

• Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha
• Sean Gunn as Kraglin
• Sylvester Stallone as Stakar Ogord
• Will Poulter as Adam Warlock
• Chukwudi Iwuji as The High Evolutionary
• Michael Rosenbaum as Martinex
• Maria Bakalova as Cosmo the Spacedog

What is the plot of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?

The Guardians (minus Gamora) featured in Thor: Love and Thunder - they decided to split up and travel the galaxy to help people in distress. Guardians 3 will pick up from this point with the gang reuniting and beginning a search for Gamora, who disappeared at the end of Avengers Endgame.

The synopsis reads: “Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, Peter Quill rallies his team to defend the universe and one of their own - a mission that could mean the end of the Guardians if not successful.”

The film is expected to be the last in the Guardians series - Gunn previously announced that the film would be a trilogy, and Bautista told Digital Spy: “As far as my obligations, I’ve got Guardians 3, and that’s probably going to be the end of Drax”.

When is the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 release date?

The third instalment of the series is set for release in UK cinemas on Friday 5 May 2023. As with all Marvel Cinematic Universe films, it will eventually land on Disney+. Thor Love and Thunder was released on Disney+ just over two months after its cinematic run began.

Guardians 3 is therefore likely to be on Disney+ in July 2023. All previous MCU films, including Guardians one and two, the Holiday Special, and animated short series I Am Groot are available to watch on Disney+ now.

Is there a trailer for Galaxy Vol. 3?

A trailer for the third movie was shown to the audience at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con in July, but it has still not been released to the general public. Director James Gunn confirmed that a teaser trailer will be released ahead of the film, but he hasn’t confirmed when this will be. Watch this space for updates on when the trailer drops.