Kevin Bacon, who came to fame through playing Ren in 1984’s Footloose, would love to have a role in James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The Golden Globe-winning actor notably worked with Gunn on the comedy superhero film Super.
Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill/Star-Lord has referenced Bacon in multiple MCU films. In 2011’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Quill notes that the actor is his childhood hero. In Avengers: Infinity War, Quill even asked Tom Holland's Peter Parker if Footloose is still the best movie ever. Footloose was one of the few films the Celestial-Human hybrid was able to see before he was abducted from Earth in 1988. The reference led to Bacon hilariously challenging Pratt to a dance-off on social media.
Bacon recently told Esquire that he wants to be in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. "Listen, I love the idea. I would love to be part of that," said the actor, adding, "when I saw Guardians of the Galaxy, I went to see it having no idea that I was discussed." Bacon noted he was shocked that he was mentioned in the blockbuster. While Bacon played supervillain Sebastian Shaw in X-Men: First Class, he has yet to appear in the MCU. However, Bacon was referenced again in Avengers: Infinity War when Mantis mistakenly referred to him as one of "Earth's Mightiest Heroes" after Thor mentioned the Earth-bound team of heroes.
Written and directed by Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to start filming later this year. Notably, Gunn was reinstated to direct the sequel by Disney after the company had fired him for past controversial Tweets. The social media posts had already been raised years before but caught the attention of fans after being brought back up by far-right individuals, who were more interested in punishing Gunn for his criticism of then-President Donald Trump. The upcoming sequel is expected to wrap up the characters’ MCU arcs and will be the final chapter in the Guardians franchise. The Pratt-led MCU film will also star Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Karen Gillan, Sean Gunn, and Elizabeth Debicki.
Gunn confirmed that the sequel would take place after Thor: Love and Thunder in the MCU timeline. The newest Thor film will feature the beloved Guardians characters and sees Jane Foster (played by Natalie Portman) become the Mighty Thor after gaining similar powers to the former king of Asgard. Oscar Award-winning actor Christian Bale is portraying the villainous Gorr the God Butcher.
The Guardians cast will also star in a Disney Plus holiday special due to be released before Vol. 3. Gunn’s The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is expected to debut on the streaming platform in late 2022.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is scheduled to be released in theaters in May 2023.
Source: Esquire