Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana Reunite on First Day of Filming for 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3'

Production on the upcoming superhero film, set to be released in 2023, has officially started

Photo: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

The gang is back!

Actors Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana were photographed Monday back on set for the first day of filming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

"It's been a strange & long & at times challenging journey to get here, but the obstacles along the way have only made this moment more blissful. Back on set with my Guardians family for the first day of shooting #gotgvol3," director James Gunn tweeted Monday with a photo featuring the cast members on set.

The Marvel film is set to be released May 5, 2023.

Pratt, 42, plays Peter Quill Star-Lord in the Marvel film series. Saldana, 43, also returns to the series as Gamora.

In a recent interview with SFX Magazine, Gunn (The Suicide Squad) said superhero movies had become "mostly boring" to him. He made the comment while speaking about how he plans to make his superhero films stand out.

"They're mostly boring to me right now!" Gunn, 54, said, via gamesradar. "I loved them at the beginning and there are still people trying to do different things [with them], so it's not a 100% rule, but a lot of them are boring. So I think it's about bringing in other elements from different genres.

James Gunn/Twitter

In July, Guardians star Dave Bautista, discussed the possibility of preparing for his "bittersweet" exit from the the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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"It's been a hell of a journey with this cast and Guardians and the whole Marvel Universe," the 52-year-old told People Magazine. "I feel like it really launched my career. And I'm kind of wrapping up that part of my journey, so it's very much a bittersweet thing."

Chatting with PEOPLE while promoting his new campaign for the Disney+ streaming bundle at the time, the actor admitted that he wasn't sure what the future held for the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy, but stated he believed his time as Drax the Destroyer was almost over.

If all goes as planned, Bautista and other cast members will finish production on Guardians 3 in April. "That will be the end of my Drax journey," he said.