Why Thor 4 Is Right To Limit The Guardians Of The Galaxy's Role

Evidence suggests Thor: Love and Thunder is only using the Guardians of the Galaxy team for small roles, and that's the right decision for the movie. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and the Guardians of the Galaxy teamed up for the first time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Avengers: Infinity War. The pairing immediately became a fan-favorite, which is why so many viewers were excited to see Thor join the team at the end of Avengers: Endgame. This moment helped set up the Guardians to return in Thor: Love and Thunder.

As production on Thor 4 ramped up in Australia, it became clear that all of the current Guardians of the Galaxy will appear. Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Drax (Dave Bautista), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), and Kraglin (Sean Gunn) all arrived in the land down under, with Rocket and Groot expected to be featured too. Early Thor: Love and Thunder set photos teased how they and Thor are working together. But, one of the biggest questions fans have had about this team-up is how large of a role the Guardians of the Galaxy will have. Gillan and Klementieff have already revealed they've left the production, indicating that Nebula, Mantis, and possibly the rest of the Guardians have minor roles.

There are sure to be some fans who wish the Guardians of the Galaxy were in the entirety of Thor: Love and Thunder, but Marvel has made the right call to limit them. As fun as the Guardians and Thor are together, they are ultimately a distraction from his own individual story. Thor's journey in Avengers: Endgame left him wanting to find out who he really is instead of being who people expect him to be. Working with the Guardians can be part of his larger future, but they shouldn't become the center of Thor's identity. Essentially, they can help "fix" Thor and send him on his new life, but he still has to discover who he is without them.

Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor in Endgame

Keeping the Guardians of the Galaxy's roles in Thor: Love and Thunder to a minimum should also benefit the film's larger story. There are plenty of storylines to follow already without the Guardians sticking around for the entire runtime. Thor: Love and Thunder has to show Jane Foster's (Natalie Portman) transformation into Mighty Thor, which is not something that should be quickly explained. Valkyrie's new responsibilities as king of Asgard and her search for a queen should receive plenty of attention too. The movie will also introduce Christian Bale's Gorr the God Butcher as the villain. With so many storylines that should retain the franchise's focus on Thor protecting Asgard, having the Guardians around would be too much.

This move also has a long-term benefit for the MCU. Thor and the full Guardians of the Galaxy team have only been used together sparingly. They're on screen for just a few minutes together in Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame had them together even less. Now that it appears Thor: Love and Thunder won't be a true team-up movie between them, that gives Marvel Studios another card to play down the road. With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 confirmed to be the end of the current iteration of the Guardians, the "Asgardians of the Galaxy" could reteam for a future event film that truly combines both franchises without messing with each franchise's individual arcs.

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