Ever since the first trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was released, fans have been preparing themselves for the very real possibility that they were going to have to say goodbye to at least one beloved character, and Rocket always seemed the most likely to go on up to the spirit in the sky.
So, which - if any - of the space-faring misfits met their maker in the Marvel Studios threequel? Major spoilers from this point on.
Not a single one!
James Gunn subverted expectations by keeping every major character alive by the time the credits rolled, although there were a couple of significant fake-outs, and the movie still proved to be a heartbreaking watch. While none of the Guardians themselves died, we did lose Rocket's pals Lylla, Teefs and Floor in a truly devastating scene when they were gunned down by the High Evolutionary and his guards.
After being saved by Adam Warlock, Peter Quill haded over leadership of the team to Rocket, while Drax and Nebula remained on Knowhere, Mantis went off to explore the galaxy on her own, and Gamora returned to the Ravagers. The new team, which consists of Rocket, Groot, Kraglin, Cosmo, Warlock, and Phyla-Vell, could well return at some point, but Gunn has confirmed that he won't be helming any potential Vol. 4.
Quill returned to Earth to reconcile with his grandfather, but the title card tells us that "The Legendary Star-Lord Will Return," so Marvel Studios clearly has other plans for the character.
How did you guys feel about Gunn's decision to leave every one of the Guardians standing? Do you think the movie would have benefitted from a major death, or do you believe it was emotional enough without one? Drop us a comment down below.
"In Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 our beloved band of misfits are settling into life on Knowhere. But it isn’t long before their lives are upended by the echoes of Rocket’s turbulent past." "Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him on a dangerous mission to save Rocket’s life—a mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them."
Gunn writes and directs Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, featuring Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Will Poulter, and Maria Bakalova. Kevin Feige is the producer and Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Nikolas Korda, Simon Hatt, and Sara Smith serve as executive producers.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 arrives in theaters on May 5, 2023.