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We are on the eve of the red-carpet premiere of Marvel Studio’s Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3, and with speculation high, James Gunn himself has said that the team will never be the same. Content Creators and Commentators have given their projections regarding which team members may meet their end before we reach the final credits, and honestly no one is safe. As you prepare yourselves with a Kleenex and start nervously biting your nails, just remember that perhaps not all the Guardians will see the Colors of Ogord.
Even in the comics what we know as the current team has disbanded and new members have formed. We may see the passing of the mantel from the old members to the new. If you recall in Vol 2, Stakar (played by Stallone) united with other Ravager clan leaders after being inspired by the acts of Yondu Udanta… this was a call back to the original Guardians of the Galaxy from the comics. Our better-known team led by Peter Quill had only formed within a few years of the first film. There is plenty of story that can be told with a new group of Guardians.
But what should we fear from Gunn’s Volume 3? If the next iteration follows the trend that its predecessors set in place, one or more members of the existing Guardians of the Galaxy crew will meet their end. So, let’s look at our current roster and hypothesize who is at risk.
Peter Quill (Chris Pratt): The leader of the current Guardians, and considerably the glue that brought this team together. We meet Peter as a child and quickly learn that he will stand up for what is right, even if it means putting himself in peril. In Vol 1, Peter takes on the role of inspiring the team to work together and stop Ronin’s attempt to unleash the power stone on the innocent inhabitants of Xandar. In Volume 2, Peter struggles with his importance to the team. His conflict in consolidating his feelings for his newly discovered father Ego (Kurt Russel), the loss of his mother Meredith Quill (Laura Haddock), and the realization that the longing he had for a fatherly figure and family had always been there in Yondu (Michael Rooker). The Guardians team became his found family and each team member is important to his character development. In the following Avengers Films (Infinity War, & Endgame) Peter faces loss when the woman he loves (Gamora; Zoe Saldana) is taken and consequently killed at the hand of Thanos, later meeting a past version of Gamora that does not reciprocate feelings for him. In Volume 3 we could possibly see Peter either come to terms with the loss of (his) Gamora or forge a relationship with the time displaced version (In my opinion, this cheapens the relationship and death of the original Gamora). According to the recent trailer, if Peter and Gamora do build a relationship, it may take more effort than the first time. Considering that every major loss Peter has faced was prefaced with music as a message to him moving on. Meredith gave him Awesome Mix Vol 2 that started with “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” as well as Yondu having a Zune for Peter that played “Father and Son” first. My theory is Peter will try to build a relationship with the new Gamora only to find a message from his lost love giving him the push he needs to move on, perhaps in the form of a song she left for him.
Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista): Though his role was always a comical aspect to the crew, Drax’s story is seeded in sadness. Drax is the surviving member of his family, having lost his wife Ovette, and daughter Kamaria at the hands of Ronin the Accuser under the direction of the mad Titan Thanos. Drax had sworn vengeance against those who took the lives of his loved ones. Drax was instrumental in the death of Ronin at Xandar (GOTG) and participated in the battle at Avengers Compound (Endgame) where Thanos and his forces were snapped away. Drax became not only friends with the other Guardians he grew to consider them his family. It also appears that Drax has formed a special connection with Mantis as they have a similar sense of humor and personality. Though these are character aspects, it is important to mention that Bautista has stated he is done playing Drax, and unless it is decided to recast the character, this is most likely the end for him. Drax no longer has unsettled business in avenging his wife and daughter, and may have a chance to reunite with his family at his own heroic end.
Nebula (Karen Gillan): A Daughter of Thanos that underwent traumatic physical alterations from the mad Titan has had the most development of the entire team as she started as the villainous ally for Ronan the Accuser and seeking the approval of her abusive adoptive father later reconciling with her sister. In the short glimpse of that time that Nebula spent stranded with Tony Stark following Avengers Infinity War we could see that she was taken back by the decency with which Tony treated her, leaving a lasting impression on her. Nebula found acceptance with the Avengers and had a blossoming friendship with Rocket. I have been surprised with how I have grown to love this character. But as the comics didn’t have much with Nebula until recent as influenced by the MCU version…Nebula may not have much time left and may be more willing to sacrifice herself to ensure her sister doesn’t meet her end a second time.
Mantis (Pom Klementieff): First introduced in Volume 2 as a servant to Ego the living planet and later identified in the Holiday Special as the half-sibling of Peter Quill, this tough as nails empath has only had a small amount of time to truly be fleshed out. Like Nebula, Mantis’s MCU story has deviated greatly from that of her comic counterpart. During the recent Holiday Special, Mantis was able to develop further, taking a more aggressive demeanor with Drax and giving a glimpse of the potential she has moving forward. Mantis could have more story to tell based on her comic book source material as some even relates to the new big bad the MCU is building towards. This makes determining whether she survives the next Guardians outing, rather, a point of if Gunn relegates her to a plot piece to cause Peter more emotional distress (let’s hope not).
Groot (Vin Diesel): Following the death of Rocket’s companion in the first Guardians film, the sapling that grew from his remains was an entirely new being (per James Gunn) and not a resurrected Groot. During Volume 2 we fell in love with Baby Groot in the same way that Star Wars fans have fallen in love with Grogu (the Child/Baby Yoda). During the end credits of Volume 2, we meet the adolescent Teen Groot for the first time and have further interaction during the events of Avengers Infinity War and Endgame. Groot has reached a young adult form as of the Holiday Special, and has a very friendly, childlike demeanor still. Given the original Groot having died in Volume 1, and New Groot’s dusting in Infinity War, this character feels like least likely of the Guardians to be offered up (again) to the cinematic sacrificial alter. Regardless of if this iteration of Groot is eliminated, there is still opportunity for future Groots moving forward.
Finally, we must address the Raccoon in the room…
Rocket (Bradley Cooper/Sean Gunn): The wisecracking, short tempered raccoon, first appears as a low moral bounty hunter and criminal, later evolves into a low moral hero, but with his time with the other Guardians, finds himself a family that accepts him as he is. Rocket grows as a father figure to the offspring of his former companion Groot and while continuing with Nebula during the 5-year span of the Blip, carries the scarf of his lost friend Peter with him. Volume 2 had a very evident plot of him having to come to terms with the fact that he pushes his friends away due to his difficulty dealing with his past trauma. Volume 3 appears to bring Rocket face to face with that trauma and the antagonist responsible for the horrors Rocket went through. My fear is that this plot is meant to make us more emotionally attached to him just to bring us to his end, possibly leading his otter friend Lylla to carry on in his stead.
Despite any preparations one might make for the emotional roller coaster of this film or the potential loss of any fictional character, this movie is not just a farewell for some of your favorite heroes, but also the farewell of an amazing director from the MCU. James Gunn.
James Gunn was brought on to do something rather risky for a studio that only succeeded due to risky business decisions; take a rather new team that had a smaller following and make it into a film that would not only bring a rather grounded franchise into space but make it a success. With a motley team of characters including an anthropomorphic raccoon, and a talking tree and a rocking soundtrack, he was able to make an impressive impact on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Gunn would go on to consult for every instance that the Guardians appeared on screen and even helped design the story for two Guardians themed rides for Disney. With James Gunn closing this chapter of his career and moving over to DC Studios, it is bittersweet to look forward to the final chapter this May.
All I can say to the Guardians of the Galaxy is thank you, for resonating with so many of us fans, and for making our days brighter. And finally, James, if you see this, thank you for saving our Galaxy, once more with feeling!
Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 only in theaters, May 5th.
