Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 cast: Who’s in and who’s out?

Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 is hitting theatres this week and will mark the last hurrah for this franchise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as director James Gunn is moving on to shepherd the upcoming DC Universe, and many of its stars are using this film to leave the MCU. Gunn was briefly fired from the movie in 2018 after a series of old tweets resurfaced in which he made controversial jokes on sensitive topics.

After public outcry from the main actors, Gunn was eventually rehired in 2019. He completed The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker before returning to the MCU, to which he directed The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special for Disney+ and, finally, Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3. Gunn’s next film will also be quite special, as it will be the new beginning of the DCU with Superman: Legacy, set to hit cinemas in June 2025.

Most of the original Guardians cast is returning for one last ride, with the exception of Michael Rooker as Yondu Udonta, whose character died during the events of Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2. However, Dave Bautista and Zoe Saldaña publicly said that it would be the last time they would portray Drax the Destroyer and Gamora, respectively, whilst Karen Gillan expressed doubts that she would return as Nebula, though her thoughts on the matter weren’t as concrete as Bautista and Saldaña’s.

From IMDb, the plot synopsis reads as follows:

"“Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, Peter Quill rallies his team to defend the universe and one of their own – a mission that could mean the end of the Guardians if not successful.”"

Read below to discover who stars in James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3. 

Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol 3. cast

• Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord
• Zoe Saldaña as Gamora
• Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer
• Karen Gillan as Nebula
• Pom Klementieff as Mantis
• Vin Diesel as Groot
• Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon
• Sean Gunn as Kraglin Obfonteri
• Chukwudi Iwuji as The High Evolutionary
• Will Poulter as Adam Warlock
• Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha
• Maria Bakalova as Cosmo the Spacedog
• Sylvester Stallone as Stakar Ogord
• Michael Rosenbaum as Martinex
• Stephen Blackeheart as Steemie
• Linda Cardellini as Lylla
• Asim Chaudhry as Teefs the Walrus
• Mikaela Hoover as Floor the Rabbit
• Miriam Shor as Vim
• Daniela Melchior as Ura
• Nick Santos as Theel
• Kai Zen as Phyla
• Nathan Fillion as Master Karja
• Dee Bradley Baker as Blurp

You can check out the trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 below and see the movie exclusively in theaters on May 5: