Guardians of the Galaxy actor says Marvel storylines have changed and they "won't intersect like originally planned"

Guardians of the Galaxy actor Dave Bautista has hinted that the James Gunn-directed threequel – and the MCU as a whole – might have been changed by the recent wave of delays that saw Marvel Phase 4 pushed back to 2021.

Bautista, who has played Drax in four Marvel movies, gave EW an update on 2023’s Guardians of the Galaxy 3.

“I saw a script early on when we were all on schedule and James Gunn was attached before everything went nutso. I believe because [Marvel's] whole calendar has changed, that storylines have changed, and they won't intersect like originally planned,” he said.

While Bautista was understandably vague on the specifics, it’s clear that there could be a serious knock-on effect thanks to the likes of Black Widow releasing a year later than originally planned. The original order of releases has changed, too, with The Falcon and The Winter Soldier now coming before Black Widow and after WandaVision. Ms. Marvel has even been bumped up into a late 2021 slot to pre-empt her appearance in Captain Marvel 2.

As for those intersecting storylines? Thor: Love and Thunder is reportedly adding Chris Pratt to its cast and Guardians of the Galaxy 3 was set to release in the same year in 2022. There’s every chance the God of Thunder was set to return the favour and do double duty. Now, there’s every chance an Asgardian of the Galaxy crossover could be cancelled. Maybe they can all appear in Spider-Man 3? That movie is in serious need of some star power...

Find out about the MCU’s move to Disney Plus with our rundown of all the new Marvel TV shows out in 2021.