James Gunn teases Guardians of the Galaxy 3’s runtime: "I promise not a second is wasted"

Zoe Saldana as Gamora and Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord in Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

(Image credit: Marvel)

James Gunn has teased an extended runtime for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ahead of its release. The director shared the insight in reply to a fan on Twitter who asked whether the film is two hours and 29 minutes long, as has been rumored.

While he didn’t commit to that exact length, Gunn explained: "It’s around that long, although that’s not yet exact. And, I promise, not a second is wasted. There’s no fat. It was necessary to experience the full arc for every major Guardians character, not only for this film, but for the trilogy (or, I should say, trilogy plus)."

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will bring the MCU trilogy to a close, tying up the loose ends from the previous movies, as well as the recent holiday special on Disney Plus. In a series of follow-up tweets, Gunn shared some more insight into the runtime as well, clarifying why it isn’t confirmed yet. "It’s gonna be around that," he explained. "It’s just the length of end credits that are being estimated in this running time."

The official synopsis for the upcoming Marvel Phase 5 movie hints the finale will be an emotional one for the team. "Our beloved band of misfits are settling into life on Knowhere, but it isn't long before their lives are upended by the echoes of Rocket's turbulent past," it reads. "Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him on a dangerous mission to save Rocket's life – a mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them."

All the gang is back for the new movie, including Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Bradley Cooper, and Vin Diesel. Will Poulter is joining the cast as Adam Warlock alongside Chukwudi Iwuji as the High Evolutionary.

I’m the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for the Total Film and SFX sections online. I previously worked as a Senior Showbiz Reporter and SEO TV reporter at Express Online for three years. I've also written for The Resident magazines and Amateur Photographer, before specializing in entertainment.