Listen to James Gunn's Awesome Mix Vol. 3 playlist

Here's some news that will have you swaggering around your living room and singing into your toothbrush. Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn has released the third instalment of his Awesome Mix soundtrack collection, now available to listen on Spotify.

Pop music is integral to the emotional backbone of the Marvel Guardians blockbusters. It all began in the 2014 movie when the younger incarnation of Peter Quill (played as an adult by Chris Pratt) was given a mixtape by his dying mother Meredith (Laura Haddock).

This allowed Gunn to infuse the set-pieces in both Guardians and its 2017 sequel with a rocking sense of energy. Both films shot to critical and commercial success as they juxtaposed the likes of John Lennon, David Bowie, Parliament, The Jackson 5 and many more against the day-glo environs of far-flung solar systems.

According to Gunn, Awesome Mix Vol. 3 is Meredith's "complete playlist", including songs that he intended to use in the first two films.

"This is part of the list of songs Meredith Quill loved that I chose the songs for the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol’s 1 and 2 soundtracks from," he explains. Some of these songs almost made it into the movie ('She’s Gone') and others I always wanted to use but could never find the right place for them.

"Whatever the case, I never intended on sharing these songs, as I might use them in future movies. But I think the need for all of us to have some joyousness in these difficult times outweighs all that."

Gunn is currently finishing off The Suicide Squad for Warner Bros, a job he took on when he was controversially fired from directing Guardians of the Galaxy 3. He's subsequently been reinstated as the helmer of the third Guardians movie, following a vociferous reaction from fans and cast members, including Pratt and Dave Bautista.

Given the re-arrangement of Marvel's Phase Four slate, it remains to be seen when the movie will reach us. There's currently no indication that Guardians 3 is being positioned as one of the titles in Phase Five, which is set to begin in 2022. We might, therefore, have to wait until 2022 or even later before Star Lord and the team return.

What do you make of Awesome Mix Vol. 3? Let us know @Cineworld.