Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is ending James Gunn’s trilogy, and it leaves five big questions about the characters and the franchise’s MCU future.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 marks the end of the original iteration of the team, which leaves a few major questions about the Guardians of the Galaxy’s future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Star-Lord, Gamora, Rocket, Drax, Groot, and Nebula have been prominent characters in the MCU since their debuts in 2014. Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is where James Gunn’s trilogy comes to an end as the team regroups once more to fight Adam Warlock and High Evolutionary. With the writer/director teasing the culminating nature of the story and events that will alter the characters’ fates, their MCU futures are unclear.
Marvel Studios has understandably refrained from confirming any future plans for the Guardians of the Galaxy team members. Even with some likely to appear in the next two Avengers films, announcing those returns at this point would mean spoiling at least part of how Guardians of the Galaxy 3 ends. With the trilogy’s finale finally approaching, curiosity is continuing to rise about what the team and franchise’s future looks like. Here are the five biggest questions about the Guardians’ future after Guardians of the Galaxy 3.
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5Which Guardians of the Galaxy Heroes Will Die In GOTG3?
There has long been a question about which Guardians heroes will die in Guardians of the Galaxy 3. James Gunn has confirmed that there will be some big casualties in the movie, which has resulted in several theories about who will not make it out of the movie alive. The most popular suggestion has long been that Rocket will die in Guardians of the Galaxy 3. Gunn has said that he’s the main protagonist of the entire trilogy, but his story will really take focus in the threequel. His personal connection to High Evolutionary and overall MCU arc creates a compelling case for why Rocket could die.
Drax the Destroyer is another likely candidate for which character will die in Guardians of the Galaxy 3. Dave Bautista has been quite open about the fact that he does not want to keep playing Drax after the movie. Beyond the actor’s disinterest in continuing on in the MCU, Drax dying in Guardians of the Galaxy 3 also could fit his arc. His backstory included his wife and daughter being killed by Ronan and Thanos. He’s mentioned joining them in the afterlife should the team die on previous missions, but Drax could sacrifice himself to save his new family and reunite with his original one.
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4Which Guardians of the Galaxy Characters Will Return In The MCU?
There are also questions about which Guardians characters will return in future MCU projects after Guardians of the Galaxy 3. While the movie could rule out some characters from making more appearances by killing them, there is also the chance that others will retire from saving the galaxy. The odds are in Star-Lord’s favor that he will be back for future MCU movies or shows. As the lead of the franchise and one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Marvel Studios will likely want to keep Chris Pratt around in some capacity. He could continue to lead the Guardians of the Galaxy throughout the rest of the Multiverse Saga.
Other likely Guardians of the Galaxy heroes who could return after Guardians of the Galaxy 3 include Mantis and Nebula. Pom Klementieff’s character was set up for a bigger role in the MCU after confirming she is Star-Lord’s sister in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. Meanwhile, Nebula has risen to prominence as the franchise has continued and could continue to be part of the team moving forward. It should also be expected that Groot will be back at some point given his CGI nature and fan-favorite status. But, characters like Gamora, Drax, and Rocket could retire and exit the MCU if they survive.
3Who Will Join The Next Guardians of the Galaxy Team?
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ending the trilogy does not mean that the cosmic team will cease to exist as the MCU continues. It has already been teased that a new Guardians of the Galaxy team will form. Whatever characters survive Guardians of the Galaxy 3 are likely to return as part of the next iteration of the team. But, it should also be expected that the next version of the team will include other characters joining the group. This could include Adam Warlock joining the Guardians of the Galaxy team after being one of their villains in Guardians of the Galaxy 3 or Cosmo becoming an official member.
There are other major cosmic Marvel characters who can join the MCU’s next Guardians of the Galaxy team too. This includes prominent hero Richard Rider a.k.a. Nova, Drax’s comic daughter Moondragon, and Phyla-Vell. The MCU could even bring the multiverse into the team with Vance Astro or have mutants join the roster with Kitty Pryde taking on a leadership role. The Guardians’ team members after Guardians of the Galaxy 3 might even bring Beta Ray Bill, Hercules, or a Super-Skrull into the mix.
2Will Guardians of the Galaxy 4 Happen?
Guardians of the Galaxy 3‘s release also raises questions about if Guardians of the Galaxy 4 will happen. Marvel Studios has begun testing the waters of making fourth entries in major MCU franchises through Thor: Love and Thunder and Captain America: New World Order. There have been discussions about a potential fourth Guardians of the Galaxy movie for years, but James Gunn has never seriously entertained the idea of doing another movie. This does not mean that Guardians of the Galaxy 4 is off the board for Marvel’s plans, but it could largely depend on how well Guardians of the Galaxy 3‘s box office is.
It might take some time, but it is more likely that Guardians of the Galaxy 4 happens at some point. The movie could be used as a soft reboot of the franchise centered around new cosmic heroes while still bringing a few of the original stars back. The difficulty with making Guardians of the Galaxy 4 after Guardians of the Galaxy 3 could come with convincing audiences to get invested in a new group of characters. But, with huge cosmic events like Annihilation Wave ripe for adapting after the Multiverse Saga, a new entry in the universe’s biggest cosmic franchise would make sense.
1Will James Gunn Ever Direct Another Guardians of the Galaxy Movie?
The Guardians of the Galaxy movies have been completely shaped by writer/director James Gunn, but there are questions about his future with the franchise after Guardians of the Galaxy 3. He has taken a new job at DC Studios where he is the co-CEO and is in charge of crafting the DC Universe. This work will see him direct Superman: Legacy and work on many other DC movies and shows. James Gunn’s contract also contains a clause that means he cannot work on any Marvel projects for four years after Guardians of the Galaxy 3.
Based on his current commitments, it does not appear that James Gunn will direct another Guardians of the Galaxy movie anytime soon. He has also made it sound less likely that he would ever return to the franchise after being able to end his trilogy’s story how he always intended. There is always a chance that Marvel Studios could lure him back years from now if Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a massive hit and Gunn’s DC Universe plans do not pan out. However, it is more likely that if more Guardians of the Galaxy movies are made that a new director comes aboard.
