Taika Waititi’s Thor: Love and Thunder is one of the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies. The God of Thunder will pass on his mantle to Jane Foster, Valkyrie will search for a queen to help her rule over New Asgard, and Odinson will run afoul of Gorr the God Butcher, played by Christian Bale.
And on top of all that, the Guardians of the Galaxy are set to make an appearance after giving Thor a lift into space at the end of Avengers: Endgame. The Guardians’ role in Love and Thunder is only expected to be a cameo appearance, but they could have supporting roles.
Pick Up Where Endgame Left Off
It’s possible that Thor: Love and Thunder will pick up where Avengers: Endgame left off, with Thor hitching a ride into space with the Guardians.
A crossover with the Guardians could act as a sort of cold open for Love and Thunder before they drop him off on a planet of his choosing and go on their way.
Thor Challenges Quill’s Leadership (Again)
The last time we saw Thor with the Guardians, he was challenging Quill’s leadership. When the Guardians first saved Thor, the others were instantly drawn to the God of Thunder while Quill proved to be immune to his charms.
In Love and Thunder, Thor could challenge Quill’s leadership yet again. The two could even engage in the knife fight that was teased when they last met.
The Guardians Might Be The First To Encounter Gorr The God Butcher
The villain of Thor: Love and Thunder is set to be Gorr the God Butcher, a member of a race that was forgotten by the gods. Despite being downtrodden by the gods, Gorr’s people cast him out of their society for disparaging them.
Before he inevitably sets out to kill Thor, Gorr could be introduced into the MCU Phase 4 story during an encounter with the Guardians of the Galaxy.
A Guardians/Revengers Team-Up
In Taika Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok, the God of Thunder set up his own superhero team called the Revengers with Valkyrie, the Hulk, and Loki. Although Loki won’t appear in Love and Thunder, the other two could.
While it was fun to see Thor’s interactions with the Guardians, it would be even more fun to throw Valkyrie and the Hulk into the mix and see how they all interact.
The Search For Gamora Could Be Linked To Love And Thunder’s Focus On Romance
The Guardians’ next storyline was set up in Endgame’s finale to be the search for Gamora. Quill was seen looking for her on the ship’s computer before Thor came aboard.
Since Love and Thunder is focused on romance above all, Quill’s search for the love of his life (or the version of her circa 2014) could play into the plot.
Quill’s Part-Celestial DNA Could Confirm The Grandmaster’s Connection To The Elders
In the comics, the Grandmaster (who’s rumored to appear in Love and Thunder) and the Collector (with whom the Guardians are familiar) are members of the Elders of the Universe. Sometimes, the Elders have been linked to Celestials like Ego.
Since Quill has some Celestial DNA from Ego being his father, the MCU could use his appearance in Love and Thunder to confirm the Grandmaster’s connection to the Elders.
The Guardians Could Introduce Valkyrie To Her New Queen
Taika Waititi is essentially making Thor: Love and Thunder as a quirky romcom wrapped in a superhero blockbuster, as Thor will pass on his powers to his ex-girlfriend and Valkyrie will search the universe for a queen.
It’s unclear who Valkyrie will fall in love with – the candidates include Sif, Angela, Phyla-Vell, and Captain Marvel – but whoever she is, the Guardians could set them up.
Quill’s Zune Could Bring Some Flair To The Soundtrack
Whenever the Guardians appear in another MCU movie, they impact the soundtrack. The team is introduced to the sounds of “The Rubberband Man” by the Spinners in Avengers: Infinity War.
At the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Kraglin gave Quill a Zune he found on Earth to replace the treasured childhood Walkman that Ego destroyed. Quill could bring some flair to Love and Thunder’s soundtrack – he could even play “God of Thunder” by KISS.
Thor Might Send The Guardians To Pick Up Jane Foster From Earth
In keeping with the comics, Jane Foster will be going through cancer treatments on Earth before Thor recruits her as his successor. He could send the Guardians to pick her up.
Quill had sworn off going back to Earth after his mother died, but having returned to his homeworld for the final battle in Endgame, he might have warmed to the idea.
The Guardians Show Up To Help In The Final Battle
In the final battle of Thor’s last solo movie, he assembled his own superhero squad – the Revengers – to help him defeat the bad guys. In the final battle of his next one, he could call upon the Guardians to help out.
Presumably, Thor and Jane Foster will have their hands full fighting Gorr, so Valkyrie could do with the Guardians’ assistance dealing with the usual faceless armies that come with MCU final battles.