The third installment of the Guardians of the Galaxy will mark the end of the original team (comprising of Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, and Karen Gillan). Set to release in 2023, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 will feature the return of Sylvester Stallone and Elizabeth Debicki, both of which are expected to have expanded roles.

We still know very little about the film’s plot, except for the involvement of Adam Warlock (played by Will Poulter). While speaking on Deadline’s Hero Nation podcast to discuss his HBO Max series Peacemaker, director James Gunn said that the third Guardians film will surprise fans, calling it, “big and dark.”

When asked about what the future holds for the Guardians franchise after Vol. 3, Gunn said viewers should expect a new lineup for the team, insisting the third chapter will be the last time the original crew is seen together.

“This is the end for us. This is the last time people will see this team of Guardians… I just want to be true to the characters, and I want to be true to the story and I want to give people the wrap-up that they deserve for the story. So that is always a little bit scary; I’m doing my best.”

Karen Gillan, who portrays Gamora’s relatively-reformed adoptive sister Nebula, went to Twitter to express her feelings in response to Gunn’s statement. With three crying face emojis followed by three red hearts, it’s clear that she shares similar sentiments with Marvel fans who have come to love the offbeat galactic rag tag crew.

Again, little-to-nothing has been released about this film’s plot, so there’s no telling what the new crew could look like. However, the potential for new faces is not something that should shake up MCU fans. As we saw after Avengers: Endgame, the beginning of the MCU’s Phase Four was a new slate, and an opportunity to not only pass over famed mantles, but introduce us to a completely new set of characters, in an effort to usher the franchise forward, and explore new adventures.

The only new supergroup we have seen so far is the Eternals, and there are speculations that more supergroups, such as the Thunderbolts, and Young Avengers, are expected to appear sometime in the near future.

With the arrival of Eros/Starfox at the end of Eternals (a known associate of the Guardians of the Galaxy), and the potential introduction of the X-Men (giving us the opportunity to see Kitty Pryde make her way into the Guardians group like she did in the comics), the change in crew could propel our favorite galactic group into even more interesting storylines.

Photos via Marvel Studios, CBR, Twitter