After the events of Avengers: Endgame, the status of every character is up in the air, and we’ll have to wait for further film releases to know where they are. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’s delay from its original release has meant the wait has gotten even longer.
This has opened up space for speculation over what the film’s story could be, though, and we’ve done just that by bringing together a list of scenarios that Vol. 3 just might have. All of these could go well with together, meaning the film could even play out with these 10 storylines happening at the same time.
Adam Warlock Seeking Ayesha's Vengeance
The biggest takeaway from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was the tease of Adam Warlock’s birth, which was announced by Ayesha in the film’s stinger. There’s not much chance that this plot thread is left hanging, and we expect it to be expanded upon in the sequel.
Seeing as Adam Warlock is easily more powerful than all of the Guardians, the film can have them in a constant game of evasion as they look to find out his weakness while attempting to escape him. With Ayesha’ unmerciful demeanor, we can expect a do-or-die clash by the finale.
The Search For Gamora
This is easily the most likely backdrop for the film, and it was announced by the director himself a while back that the third movie would be about Gamora more so than the other characters. Due to Gamora’s departure in Avengers: Endgame, this story has already been set up.
Star-Lord had also been shown trying to track her whereabouts at the end of the film, which leaves out the actual search to be detailed in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 where the group go across the galaxy to catch up on Gamora’s trail.
Gamora Uncovers Her True Parentage
We got a taste of this angle in Avengers: Infinity War, where a flashback had shown Gamora being separated from her mother during Thanos’ invasion. There’s always a chance that her mother did survive, and chances are that Gamora might even have decided to visit her planet by the end of Avengers: Endgame.
Not only would this be in line with what we saw with Star-Lord’s story in the previous movie, it would also serve to flesh out Gamora’s characterization as we’ve never seen her with a maternal figure.
Recreating The Infinity Stones
This is a possible story even for other Marvel movies, but with Adam Warlock’s inclusion in Vol. 3, there’s a bigger chance of this happening in a Guardians of the Galaxy film. Fans will remember that Warlock was at the center of this story in the comics.
To this end, Warlock can be shown as the key to creating new Infinity Stones, which were said to be a vital part of the universe, yet were destroyed by the end of Avengers: Endgame. The plot of the film can have the Guardians working in tandem with Warlock for this purpose.
Searching For Drax's Family
Out of all the characters, it has been Drax who’s had the most teases over his background, with little to no payoff. He was still bitter about these things as of Avengers: Infinity War, and he’s most likely not moved on even after Thanos’ death.
As Star-Lord came across his father out of nowhere, there’s a chance that Vol. 3 could dive into Drax learning that his family perhaps didn’t perish as he’d believed. This would also open up an angle where Drax would have to choose between staying with the Guardians or going back to his former life.
Peter And Gamora's Second Love
There were many reasons why Gamora and Star-Lord didn’t work as a couple, but their love for each other superseded all these issues. Now that the original Gamora is dead, Star-Lord will have a task for himself to make this new one fall in love with him.
With the Guardians of the Galaxy formula of awkward comedy, the film can have a hilarious vibe in which Star-Lord painstakingly tries to convince Gamora that she was in love with him in another life, and that there's more to him than meets the eye.
Thor's Time With The Guardians
Although the next canonical appearance by the character will be in Thor: Love and Thunder, that doesn’t mean we won’t see him at all in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The most likely chance is him appearing in various flashbacks.
As regards to the story, Thor’s role can be to be shown at occasional points in the film where advice given by him has an impact on the other characters. He can be the one to point out where Gamora’s likely hiding, and his departure can be the thing that changes Rocket and Groot’s way of life.
Rocket Finding His True Calling
It’s Rocket who’s been the most featured Guardian in the MCU as a whole, and his role as a tinkerer can be expanded upon in this film. Rocket can finally be seen accepting that he isn’t actually the group’s leader, with him understanding what his purpose is supposed to be.
This could range from Rocket wanting to dive into his talents as an inventor, or him realizing that endless fighting around the galaxy just isn’t fulfilling anymore. We just might see Rocket contemplate retirement; accepting this fact can be the arc the other Guardians go through.
Groot's Growing Pains
Groot’s transition from being a baby into becoming a teenager was glossed over due to the gap between Vol. 2 and Avengers: Infinity War, but we just might see his evolution into an adult this time around.
Not only could the story show Groot becoming a mature character, we can also watch him physically grow up onscreen to resemble the original Groot. As far as the story is concerned, Groot’s maturity can come in the form of him realizing how the Guardians genuinely look after him and how he needs to appreciate their efforts.
An All-Out War For Supremacy In The Galaxy
Fans will remember how Thanos was called the most powerful man in the universe in both films. With his death, the galaxy is without a superior threat for the first time. This can blow out to become a total war for the position as the next apex warlord.
The storyline can have a certain group of Ravagers staking their claim as the de facto ones in control, while other characters like Ayesha can also throw in their hat, and cause a war to break out. The Guardians would then be in a position to battle the bad guys and ensure the galaxy remains free of another warlord coming into power.