James Gunn wants to break the threequel curse with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

"This is the big one," Gunn states. "This is where things really happen. This is where we get to know the truth about who these characters are, and we face the biggest stakes."

It was a turbulent ride for the director as he was briefly fired from Marvel after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 after controversial tweets from years ago resurfaced. Marvel did rehire him to do the third movie sometime later.

A trilogy was always on Gunn's mind as he felt that the story was "one thousand percent" unfinished after Vol. 2. The director wanted to explore the story of Rocket as he felt that he owed it to the character.

"One of the reasons why I came back to [make] this movie was because I felt like I needed to tell Rocket's story," Gunn shared. "I would've been very sad not to complete the trilogy for many reasons, but I just feel very connected to Rocket. I feel like nobody would be able to tell his full story if it wasn't me."

It will be the first time that Rocket takes the spotlight in Guardians of the Galaxy. The first and second films were more about Peter Quill / Star-Lord and his origins story. It was not explained how Rocket came into being and why he is so grumpy all the time.

"To me, Rocket has always been the secret protagonist of the Guardians movies," Gunn explains. "From the beginning, it has been rooted in who he is as a character. I think he exemplifies a lot of the traits of all the Guardians. They've had all these traumas, and it brings them together. I just think that he is more extreme than others."

The director shares that fans will learn more about Rocket in Vol. 3. According to Gunn, "we learn a lot about his past — where he came from, who he is, and what he's been through. It's been a difficult road for the little animal."

With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Gunn ends his tenure at Marvel Studios. The director-turned-CEO will now be plotting the course for the DC Universe. It will also be the final film of the original Guardians of the Galaxy members. We'll find out more what Gunn has in store for the OG GotG squad members on May 5.