The new, action-packed trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy 3 arrived yesterday (July 23) and director James Gunn said the third instalment of the series will be “the end of that story”.

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The official trailer was debuted at yesterday’s San Diego Comic-Con, as part of Marvel’s panel where several new huge projects for the MCU were unveiled.

Director James Gunn introduced the trailer at the event, saying that the third instalment is the definitive “end” to his Guardians story.

He said: “This is the end of that story. I’m sorry. Some stories have an end. It doesn’t mean everybody dies.”

What a wonderful day & my favorite #SDCC since debuting the footage of the first #GotG, if not ever. Love our new family members @PoulterWill, @MariaBakalova96 & Chukwudi Iwuji (& I missed @zoesaldana & @DaveBautista who couldn’t be there because of other obligations). ❤️ https://t.co/fYLKnYZs1i

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 24, 2022

Gunn also confirmed that Rocket’s origin story was a driving force in getting the third film finished and will be a key part of the film’s plot.

“For a while I wasn’t going to do this movie. Then I came back. And the reason I knew I needed to come back was to tell this story and, in some ways in particular, I have a special closeness to the character of Rocket and I knew I needed to finish to tell his story,” Gunn told Entertainment Weekly.

“I knew that that was what started me on this journey, was seeing who he could be and who he was, where he came from, and the thing that grounded me initially in the Guardians…I realised that to tell the story honestly, he’s the saddest person or character in the universe,” Gunn said of Rocket.

The trailer is also soundtracked to The Flaming Lips’ song ‘Do You Realize.’

Speaking about that and it’s context to the Guardian’s story, actor Chris Pratt who was also at the panel for the event, said: “It’s such a moving [Flaming Lips] song, the imagery’s incredible, and obviously you’re immediately swept up not only in the idea that this is the end of this trilogy for all of us, but also you’re reminded of the journey that the characters are on…It’s a really emotional story.”

Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 is is set for release on May 5, 2023