Writer and Director James Gunn, along with several stars from the upcoming Marvel film “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” gathered at the Avengers Campus in Disneyland Paris for the world premiere gala.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Arrive

Chris Pratt (Peter Quill / Star-Lord), Zoe Saldaña (Gamora), Karen Gillan (Nebula), Pom Klementieff (Mantis), and Vin Diesel (Groot) all made an appearance in the new area of the second park — Walt Disney Studios. In addition to red carpet photo-ops, they were also spotted posing high above beside the Quinjet aircraft from various MCU films that towers over the Campus.

Along the red carpet, attendee Isabelle P. caught some snapshots of the enthusiastic cast greeting fans, interacting with the crowd, taking selfies, and signing autographs.

Pratt (above left) is the star of the trilogy as Peter Jason Quill (or Star-Lord), a native of Earth who was abducted by the Yondu Ravager Clan in 1988 and traverses the cosmos in his Milano spaceship with Sony Walkman and mix-tapes from his beloved mother in hand.

James Gunn (above right) is the creative leader behind the films, and was notably fired from production for the third installment over old social media comments until his own humble response and an outpouring of love and support from fans, friends, actors, and the community at-large prompted his reinstatement to the franchise he created (along with an original draft for the first film penned by Nicole Perlman over roughly two years of studying and taking inspiration from the comic book source material).

Karen Gillan (above left) portrays Nebula, abused daughter of Thanos who has transitioned from antagonist to protagonist over the years as she heals from past trauma. Pom Klementieff (above right) is Mantis, introduced to the group in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” as an isolated mantis-like creature with empathic powers who bonds with Drax over their mutual awkwardness in social situations.

Vin Diesel (above left) is Groot, the tree-like, one-phrase phenomenon, fully grown up again after his post-sacrifice reincarnation at the end of the first film.

Zoe Saldaña (above right) returns as Gamora, though she is an alternate version of the character from a different universe this time around — as the original version was killed by Thanos in “Avengers: Infinity War.” Fans are exceptionally curious to learn how this massive shift in her story will impact her relationship to the other Guardians, especially the romance that was built between her and Star-Lord.

All of the action put Avengers Campus at Walt Disney Studios Park into central focus — a new land that officially opened to the public in July 2022, and is just one of the first completed expansions to the resort planned over the coming years.

The area is anchored by the Spider-Man W.E.B. Adventure (akin to the ride at Disney California Adventure) and Avengers Assemble: Flight Force (a re-theme of the former Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster avec Aerosmith) — paired with various dining, shopping, and entertainment offerings.

‘Once More with Feeling’

“Guardians of the Galaxy” focuses on a group of extraterrestrial criminals on the run who initially team up for just causes when they tangle themselves in a dangerous struggle between Xandar and Kree fanatical Ronan the Accuser.

“Vol. 3” is the long-awaited conclusion to a trilogy that began with 2014’s “Guardians of the Galaxy.” A relatively unknown team of superheroes to the general public before this film’s release, the franchise is now one of Marvel’s most popular and critically acclaimed, with the first two films grossing a combined $1.64 billion , as well as scoring a 92% and 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, respectively.

The Guardians have also made appearances in “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Avengers: Endgame,” and “Thor: Love and Thunder” — plus a roughly half feature-length Holiday Special on Disney+. They’ve spawned a series of video games, and are now featured in two Disney Parks attractions: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT and Mission: Breakout at Disney California Adventure.

James Gunn, doubling as writer and director, has repeatedly expressed his profound desire to wrap the trilogy up with the utmost propriety, calling it “the hardest thing I’ve ever done” in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

Once I started doing the first “Guardians” movie, I felt drawn to it. I felt called to it, if that makes any sense. So I feel very good [about Vol. 3] because I feel like I did everything that I possibly could to make this trilogy as good as it can possibly be. And I feel incredibly blessed and fortunate that I had all these people around me making it. It’s the biggest blessing of my life.

After the conclusion of his Marvel trilogy, Gunn will be almost exclusively focused on taking the helm over at Warner Bros. Discovery’s DC Studios, where he has already been a creative force behind “The Suicide Squad” film and “Peacemaker” series for HBO Max.

This outing is intended to be a bit more emotional, with higher stakes than viewers have previously encountered. The entire cast and crew emphasizes the familial bond they share, and the difficulty it has caused as the time to say farewell arrives. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Karen Gillan expressed the obstacles and the profundity of the film’s finality:

It’s been a rocky road to get here. When it looked like we weren’t going to make the movie without James, it just didn’t feel right at all. You can’t make a Guardians movie without James…There’s a scene towards the end of the film that’s somewhat of an ending-of-an-era scene, and everyone was crying in the scene. When you see it, just know that none of us are actually acting. Like, everyone was very emotional. It did feel like a goodbye. And it felt real.

Are you excited for this finale with the beloved group of ragtag galactic saviors? Who is your favorite Guardian? Let us know in the comments.

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