James Gunn writing and will direct third 'Guardians of the Galaxy' movie

April 17 (UPI) -- Filmmaker James Gunn announced Monday he will return to write and direct a third Guardians of the Galaxy movie.

Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is set for release on May 5. It is the sequel to the 2014 blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy.

Gunn confirmed last month that a third chapter in Marvel's space-comedy franchise had been greenlit, but he also said he was still "trying to figure it out" regarding whether he would once again be at the helm.

"I could save this answer for the first, random interviewer to ask me during the press junket but instead I thought I'd share it with the most important people in the Guardiansverse -- you, the fans, who have been so incredibly supportive and enthusiastic over the past five years, it has moved me to tears on a regular basis," Gunn wrote in a Facebook post. "So, yes, I'm returning to write and direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. In the end, my love for Rocket, Groot, Gamora, Star-Lord, Yondu, Mantis, Drax, and Nebula -- and some of the other forthcoming heroes -- goes deeper than you guys can possibly imagine, and I feel they have more adventures to go on and things to learn about themselves and the wonderful and sometimes terrifying universe we all inhabit. And, like in both Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, we will work on creating the story that goes beyond what you expect."