Although it was delayed by James Gunn being fired and rehired and taking a job at DC in the interim, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is finally on its way for a 2023 release. The threequel promises to conclude the story of the current Guardians team and might pass on the torch to a new team for the next incarnation of the franchise.
Following the shocking events of the last two Avengers movies, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has a lot of interesting setups to pay off. The final chapter of Gunn’s zany sci-fi trilogy might drastically change the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Introducing Adam Warlock
One of the many mid-credits scenes in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 teased the introduction of Adam Warlock as the Sovereign set out to create an artificial being capable of destroying the Guardians and called it “Adam.”
After fans expecting to see Adam Warlock in Infinity War or Endgame were disappointed on both counts, Guardians Vol. 3 might finally give Adam his big-screen debut.
Making Nebula A True Guardian Of The Galaxy
Nebula was a villain in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie and a prisoner-turned-villain-turned-ally in the second one. After working with Rocket as a bona fide Avenger during Endgame’s five-year time jump, Nebula might’ve matured enough to join the Guardians as a full-fledged member.
The Guardians’ final scene in Endgame suggested that she’d already joined the team, but Vol. 3 needs to make it official with a sweet moment like Yondu’s “Welcome to the frickin’ Guardians of the Galaxy” induction in Vol. 2.
Reassembling The Original Guardians Team
One of Vol. 2’s other mid-credits scenes introduced the original Guardians of the Galaxy team, having reunited inspired by Yondu’s final sacrifice. The line-up contained a bunch of recognizable A-listers – including Sylvester Stallone, Michelle Yeoh, Ving Rhames, and the voice of Miley Cyrus – which seemed to suggest franchise potential.
It’s possible that they’re being saved for their own movie or Disney+ spin-off, but the original Guardians team might join the current members for an explosive battle sequence in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Revealing Drax’s Daughter To Be Alive
One of the many rumors floating around about the third Guardians movie is that it will reveal Drax’s daughter to be alive. The most prominent fan theory is that Drax’s daughter will be Moondragon. In the comics, Moondragon learned that her own father’s soul bonded to a new body and became “Drax the Destroyer.”
Undoing Drax’s grief in Vol. 3 would also undo a lot of his character development from the first movie, but it could be worth it if it leads to a massive emotional payoff.
Explaining Rocket’s Backstory
Another rumor about Guardians Vol. 3 – bolstered by James Gunn’s claim that the threequel will specifically resolve Rocket’s MCU arc – is that it’ll explore Rocket’s origin story.
So far, there have been hints that he was created by scientists in a series of painful experiments, but nothing concrete has been confirmed about the little trash panda’s backstory. Vol. 3 might fill it in before bringing his arc to a heartfelt conclusion.
Quill’s Zune Opens Up The Soundtrack To New Eras Of Music
Quill’s treasured Walkman was destroyed by Ego in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but Kraglin gave him a Zune that picked up on Earth. This means that the Guardians soundtracks are no longer confined to the late ‘60s/early ‘70s songs that Quill’s mother left for him before she died.
Being confined to this era hasn’t been a problem in the past – all the greatest music was created in the ‘60s and ‘70s – but Quill’s new jam-packed Zune opens up Marvel’s music department (and Gunn himself) to explore new musical styles and genres with Vol. 3’s “Awesome Mix.”
Reintroducing Gamora As A Villain
The Gamora that fans have come to know and love in the first two Guardians movies – who went from a hardened badass to a caring friend and sister – was permanently killed on Vormir in Avengers: Infinity War. But in Avengers: Endgame, the Gamora from 2014 (prior to all her character development when she was still a hardened badass) was brought into the present and ended up fighting alongside Nebula in the Battle of Earth before quietly fleeing the scene.
The third Guardians movie will presumably revolve around Quill’s universe-wide search for the woman he loves, but it’ll be a totally different Gamora. Vol. 3 has the chance to reintroduce a fan-favorite hero as a villain.
Setting Up Solo Spin-Offs
James Gunn’s time with the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise is ending with Vol. 3 and it will likely bring an end to this line of Guardians films, but that doesn’t mean every single character is leaving the MCU.
The ones who are sticking around will likely be set up for future spin-offs at the end of Vol. 3. It would be cool to see a Rocket and Groot prequel or a Gamora and Nebula team-up.
Passing On The Torch To A New Guardians Team
Just because James Gunn is ready to wrap up the story of the Guardians, it doesn’t mean Disney is ready to stop raking in millions of dollars. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 might end with the surviving Guardians disbanding and a new team taking on their mantle.
This would fit in with the general passing-of-the-torch theme of the MCU’s Phase Four: Sam Wilson just became the new Captain America, Kate Bishop will be the new Hawkeye, Jane Foster will be the new Thor, and it’s possible that a ragtag band of misfits introduced in Vol. 3 will be the new Guardians of the Galaxy.
Permanently Killing Off One (Or More) Of The Original Guardians
Unless Yondu counts as a full member, the Guardians of the Galaxy movies have yet to permanently kill off a Guardian on-screen. The original Groot is dead, but he was replanted instantly. Gamora was killed in an Avengers movie and brought back in the next Avengers movie.
As the grand finale to the Guardians trilogy, Vol. 3 might permanently kill off one of the Guardians. In fact, it might go all in and kill off a few of them.