Will a 'Guardians of the Galaxy' Sequel Be Marvel's 2016 Phase Three Movie?

For awhile now, Marvel has basically been calling dibs on future release dates without actually saying which movie will open on those dates. The studio did this with May 6, 2016. According JoBlo, that movie won't be Black Panther or Doctor Strange, as many of have expected — it'll be the sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy.

That's a pretty big rumor, especially considering that we won't even get the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie until this August. Of course, Marvel Studios has an insider view when it comes to this film, and if they're really, really pleased with how director James Gunn's movie is turning out, they won't have to wait until August.

Marvel has made a ton of smart choices when it comes to casting roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe too, and it looks like they were ahead of the curve when it came to picking Chris Pratt to lead the Guardians of the Galaxy. Pratt is going to become a bonafide box office star once the numbers for The Lego Movie go final this weekend. It would be good business to lock him up for another Guardians movie before he gets even busier. (Even busier beyond Jurassic World and a The Lego Movie sequel, that is.)

JoBlo does note that Marvel may change the May 6 date to somewhere else on the calendar. Warner Bros. recently moved its Man of Steel sequel to that date.

So if this rumor winds up being true, that means we'll have Ant-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and The Avengers 3 for Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Phase One had six movies and Phase Two will have five. Let's say that number holds true — what else can we expect in Phase Three? Black Panther and Doctor Strange are always ready to go, but Marvel is also moving ahead with plans for Captain America and Thor sequels. Can all of this fit into Phase Three?