Is Sylvester Stallone Returning For Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3? Here’s The Latest From James Gunn

Sylvester Stallone in Guardians 2

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe is currently in between phases, with the fanbase anxiously awaiting the massive franchise's return to theaters. While sets have been shut down and Black Widow was delayed a number of months, plenty actors and directors have been doing live watch parties with the fans during isolation, answering questions along the way. We've been treated to a few tidbits about the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, and now James Gunn has spoken to the possibility of Sylvester Stallone appearing in Vol. 3.

Sylvester Stallone made his Marvel debut in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, alongside Smallville actor Michael Rosenbaum as old school Ravager members. Rosenbaum recently spoke to the possibility of returning for another appearance, which prompted fans to assume he and Sly would have roles in the upcoming Guardians threequel. James Gunn has now addressed that possibility on social media, posting:

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How delightfully cryptic. It looks like Marvel fans shouldn't get too excited to see Sylvester Stallone and the rest of his original team in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Because while he hasn't denied it, he was sure to clarify that this reprisal might occur in a later installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

James Gunn took to Twitter to clear up the situation, after fan theories and rumors began circulating the internet. Despite his past with the social media platform, Gunn regularly uses Twitter to stay in conversation with movie fans. This also allows him to shut down rumors regularly, while also continuing to tease the events of his two upcoming comic book movies. Both The Suicide Squad and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 are highly anticipated projects, although moviegoers have a longer relationship with the latter group of characters.

Sylvester Stallone's role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 wasn't huge, but definitely carried weight for the story, as well as the overall MCU timeline. He was a Ravager leader who had a history with Michael Rooker's Yondu. After telling him he'll be ex-communicated for his child trafficking ways, Stallone's Stakar Ogord showed up for Yondu's space funeral, in one of the most tear-inducing moments of the entire MCU.

Marvel fans can re-watch the Guardians of the Galaxy's tenure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe on Disney+. You can use this link for a free 7-day trial to the streaming service.

James Gunn had previously spoken to Marvel's investment in Sylvester Stallone, Michael Rosenbaum, and that original team of Ravagers. The latter actor is particularly invested in returning to the shared universe at some point, so it should be interesting to see exactly what comes next. Kevin Feige has teased that cosmic stories would become even more important to the MCU, starting with The Eternals. So let's just hope that Stallone and Rosenbaum reprise their roles sooner rather than later.

It should be interesting to see exactly what James Gunn has up his sleeve for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. He no doubt has a clear vision for the story, as the script was completed years ago. While he's largely keeping his plans close to the chest, Gunn did recently tease how important Rocket's story will be to the upcoming threequel. Could we be getting his love interest introduced? Only time will tell.

The next installment in the MCU is Black Widow on November 6th. Be sure to check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies once they reopen.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.