Kurt Russell officially signs on for Guardians Vol. 2 as principle photography begins

By Chris Leo Palermino Published February 17, 2016

The stars have all aligned: As was previously rumored, Kurt Russell has been cast in in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Director James Gunn announced the news in a Facebook post today as production got underway in Atlanta, Georgia. He did not, confirm what role The Hateful Eight star will play, but there doesn’t seem to be much mystery there.

There has been wide speculation that Russell will star as the alien father of Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord character (aka Peter Quill) in the film, with The Wrap reporting in December that the actor was Gunn’s top choice for the part. Rumors of Russell’s potential involvement came after an earlier reveal this fall from Gunn that Peter Quill will be the only earthling in Vol. 2, and that more releases in the Marvel Studios-produced series are likely.

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Plot details for the second film of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise are still under wraps. Based on the Marvel comic book series, the film version tells the story of Quill forming an alliance with other misfit heroes to save the galaxy. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 was the 10th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — and one of the highest-grossing films of 2014.

Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Sean Gunn, Glenn Close, and voice stars Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel are set to return for Vol. 2. In October, the studio revealed that Oldboy’s Pom Klementieff joined the film’s cast in an unknown role after a wide search. Other new cast members revealed in Gunn’s post include Elizabeth Debicki and Chris Sullivan.

Russell, now 64, made a name for himself in the ’80s and ’90s for his iconic roles in movies like Tombstone, as well as sci-fi films like Escape From New York, The Thing, and Stargate. The veteran actor has been nominated for two major awards in his career: a Golden Globe nom for his performance in 1983’s Silkwood, and an Emmy nom for the 1979 television film Elvis.

Production on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is now underway. Disney will release the film on May 5, 2017.

Updated 2/17/16 by Stephanie Topacio Long: This post has been updated to reflect the most recent casting news and the fact that filming has begun.

Chris Leo Palermino

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Chris Leo Palermino is a music, tech, business, and culture journalist based between New York and Boston. He also contributes…

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Is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 the best James Gunn movie ever?

The cast of "Guardians of the Galaxy" walking toward the camera.

James Gunn's career in cinema began in 1997 when he wrote the low-budget Troma Studios film Tromeo and Juliet. His subsequent movie scripts included a lesser-known superhero flick, The Specials, two live-action Scooby-Doo movies, and a remake of Dawn of the Dead. In 2006, Gunn was finally given a chance to direct his first movie, Slither, before making his mark on Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy eight years later.

Late last year, Gunn was named co-CEO of DC Studios, and he is slated to direct Superman: Legacy. That's why Gunn's newest film, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, is his final Marvel Studios movie. It's also the perfect occasion to look back at Gunn's filmography to date and list them in descending order based on their Rotten Tomatoes rankings.
6. Super (2010)

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'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' Nebula (Karen Gillan), Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), and Drax (Dave Bautista) wearing black and red uniforms, walking along a metal ship hallway.

When a certain type of movie ends, audiences know it's not time to leave the theaters just yet. It's now a ritual for audiences to linger after the end credits roll for superhero movies and even "regular" movies like John Wick: Chapter 4, as they know there will be one or two (or in some cases, more) "stingers" that tease about the endless sequels and cinematic universes that dominate the pop culture landscape. Marvel perfected the art of the end credits sequence in The Avengers, with the reveal of Thanos as the architect behind a grand scheme to collect all the Infinity Stones.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is certain to continue this tradition when it's released on May 4. The last film in James Gunn's trilogy, Vol. 3 has fans curious about what will happen to the beloved team in what appears to be their final adventure together. Does the film have any post-end credits scenes? And if so, what do they reveal about the future of the Guardians and the MCU? Find out by reading below!
How many post-credit scenes are there in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?
There are two post-credit end scenes in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The first one appears shortly after the main cast credits are shown. The second scene occurs after all of the credits have been displayed. Both are short and run approximately 90 seconds each.
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'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' Nebula (Karen Gillan), Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), and Drax (Dave Bautista) wearing black and red uniforms, walking along a metal ship hallway.

After a long and winding journey, Marvel Studios has finally released James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. This highly-anticipated film follows the Guardians as they face off against the Rocket’s creator, the High Evolutionary, in their darkest but most beautiful adventure yet.
Since this seems to be the last time we’ll see the Guardians together, now’s a good time to rank all the characters who rocked cinemas in their final tour.
Please note: there are major spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in this article.
13. Ayesha

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