James Gunn, the creative force behind the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, has revealed why Marvel canceled several spinoff projects from its plans for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) served as a milestone for the MCU. It was a poignant farewell to beloved characters, including Dave Bautista’s Drax, Bradley Cooper’s Rocket, and Zoe Saldaña’s Gamora, all of whom confirmed their departure from the franchise. Saldaña even urged Marvel to recast her role, keen to see the character move on (but unwilling to return for another outing herself).
While the film marked the end of an era for the Guardians team, it also marked James Gunn’s final project for Marvel as he left to lead DC Studios, with his first major project, Superman: Legacy (2025), set for release in July.
Despite the film’s emotional conclusion, Chris Pratt (Peter Quill/Star-Lord) expressed his willingness to reprise his role. The film’s closing credits even teased, “The Legendary Star-Lord Will Return,” sparking hope among fans for further stories. However, behind the scenes, plans for the Guardians spin-offs had already long been considered – and dropped.
Marvel’s Shelved Guardians of the Galaxy Projects
Speaking on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, Gunn revealed that three spin-off projects were once in active development at Marvel but were ultimately scrapped. Among these were a TV series centered on the Ravagers, the group led by Yondu (Michael Rooker), a Legendary Star-Lord solo project, and a Rocket & Groot series.
While the Rocket & Groot concept evolved into the (truly devastating) story arc of Guardians Vol. 3, Gunn noted that the original plan was to prioritize the spinoff first. However, he was persuaded to focus on wrapping up the ensemble trilogy instead. Though Marvel has not officially closed the door on revisiting these ideas, the studio’s recent strategy shift toward fewer, high-quality releases makes it unlikely these projects will be revisited anytime soon.
Marvel’s Recent Struggles
The decision to cancel these projects comes as Marvel faces mounting challenges to maintain the cultural dominance it once held. The studio, which revolutionized the film industry with its interconnected cinematic universe, has struggled in recent years with a string of underwhelming releases.
Films like Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania (2023) received mixed reviews, and Disney+ series like Secret Invasion failed to resonate with audiences, prompting concerns about the MCU’s quality and coherence. These missteps have coincided with declining box office performances and criticism that Marvel has focused too heavily on quantity over quality.
In response, Marvel has significantly scaled back its output. The studio has delayed several projects and canceled others, including fully filmed episodes of Daredevil: Born Again, opting to rework the series entirely. In 2024, Marvel released just one movie, Deadpool & Wolverine, with its sparse slate attributed to both the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strikes and a deliberate attempt to refocus its storytelling efforts.
The studio has also announced the return of Robert Downey Jr. for Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027), where he’ll be playing the Multiverse Saga’s “big bad” Doctor Doom instead of his previous role of Tony Stark/Iron Man.
What’s Next for the Guardians?
While Gunn expressed his hope that Marvel will continue exploring the Guardians characters, his departure to DC Studios (and possible lingering resentment from his 2018 firing and 2019 rehiring) and the cast’s changing priorities have left the franchise’s future uncertain. Pratt remains open to returning, and Marvel’s tease of Star-Lord’s return leaves a glimmer of possibility.
For now, fans must reconcile with the reality that the Guardians of the Galaxy story, as envisioned by James Gunn, has likely reached its conclusion. Whether Marvel chooses to revisit these shelved projects or move forward with entirely new stories remains to be seen.
Would you like to see Marvel revisit the Guardians of the Galaxy spin-offs?
