SAN DIEGO – “Guardians of the Galaxy” hasn't even opened yet, but Marvel Studios announced Saturday that a sequel is already green lit.
Currently titled “Guardians of the Galaxy 2,” the second installment of Marvel's latest franchise will hit theaters on July 28, 2017. That's three years from now, but make sure you mark your calendar in your smartphone (not that you'll likely still be using that phone three years from now).
The revelation was made during a taped comedic bit featuring franchise star Chris Pratt (Star Lord) and director James Gunn that played during Marvel's annual Saturday Comic-Con panel. The duo recorded the announcement while doing press in London this past week.
“Guardians” may turn out to be one of Marvel's most critically acclaimed films. It's currently at a 77 on Metacritic and a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 25 reviews so far. In terms of box office, pre-release tracking shows a $65 million plus opening with some studios predicting closer to $75 million.
Based on the latest version of the Marvel Comic book series, “Guardians” also stars Zoe Saldana (who will busy with two “Avatar” sequels the next two years) and Dave Bautista. Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel provide the voices for Rocket Raccoon and Groot respectively.
For more on “Guardians” check out Drew McWeeny's review here.