Top 10 Hidden Details in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

As if Nebula’s hands weren’t deadly enough already, her left arm gets an upgrade, shapeshifting into new tools of destruction. Nebula mentions in passing that the arm came courtesy of Rocket, who was likely returning the favor after she got him a nifty Christmas present. In “The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special,” Nebula gifts Bucky’s vibranium arm to Rocket, who expressed interest in the prosthetic during the Battle of Wakanda. While we never see Nebula acquire the arm on screen, James Gunn tweeted, “She took a trip to earth and tore it off his body because she was feeling so Christmasy.” When they’re reunited in “Endgame,” the first thing Rocket does is hold Nebula’s hand. So, this arm exchange brings their friendship full circle.

Over the years, the Guardians evolve from a dysfunctional group of strangers to a dysfunctional team. Being a team, it was about high time that they settled on an official uniform design. The red and blue costumes resemble the same suits that Star-Lord’s team wore in the comics from 2008 to 2014. The first “Guardians” film drastically shook up the looks of several characters with the matching uniforms being traded for costumes that better capture each member’s personality. This, in turn, inspired how the characters were designed in animated shows, games, and even comics. While the​​ War-Lord Outfit is unlockable in the 2021 game, “Vol. 3” marks a true comeback for the classic uniform. Way to wrap things up by going back to the beginning.

It wouldn’t be a “Guardians” movie without a few 80s references. Going through Peter’s belongings, Gamora stumbles across his Garbage Pail Kids and ALF trading cards. Star-Lord also name-drops Patrick Swayze, the decade’s greatest cinematic dancer other than maybe Kevin Bacon. However, the most prominent reference comes when Peter tells off the High Evolutionary, comparing his appearance to RoboCop and Skeletor. Peter’s description is more accurate than even he realizes. During the High Evolutionary’s last stand, the Guardians peel off the villain’s face, seeing what Rocket did to his mug years ago. The High Evolutionary’s head is practically a skull, looking far creepier than Frank Langella’s Skeletor in the 1987 “Masters of the Universe” movie. It’s not quite R-rated material, but it’s close for Marvel.

Captain America, Captain Marvel, Captain Carter, and now Captain Rocket. With Star-Lord revisiting his roots on Earth, Rocket is left in charge of the Guardians. In a mid-credits scene, Rocket leads a new team that includes Groot, Adam, and Cosmo the Spacedog, among others. As they’re about to charge into battle, Cosmo tells Rocket, “On your left, Captain.” MCU fans have come to associate “on your left” with Steve Rogers, who repeatedly says it to Sam Wilson during their first encounters. Wilson turns the line on Rogers upon joining the Battle of Earth in “Endgame.” Now Cosmo delivers another variation on the line, which has had far more staying power than anyone likely expected when we first heard it almost ten years ago.

We knew Rocket’s backstory was grim, but we didn’t expect it to have echoes of the holocaust. Not only is he locked away and tortured, but Rocket receives a haunting tattoo from the High Evolutionary. In a flashback, a young Rocket is seen conversing with his cruel captor. The High Evolutionary leads Rocket into another room, but before leaving, Rocket snatches a battery that was left out in the open. It wouldn’t be the last time that Rocket stole a power source. In “Vol 2.,” Rocket takes the Sovereign’s batteries, igniting one of that film’s biggest conflicts. It turns out that Rocket always had sticky fingers. We guess old habits die hard, quite literally in Rocket’s case since he’s almost died over batteries.

As the Guardians realize that Peter is going to live, they all embrace. Even Adam awkwardly gets in on the hugging action. The only one who doesn’t join is Gamora, who smiles and walks away. This mirrors another scene that was deleted in “Avengers: Endgame.” As Tony Stark takes his dying breath, every hero in the area takes a knee. Every hero except Gamora, who seizes this opportunity to slip away. Although Gamora fights alongside the Avengers and Guardians, she doesn’t feel like she’s truly a part of either team. As Peter comes to accept throughout “Vol. 3,” this isn’t the same Gamora he fell in love with. Gamora feels more at home with the Ravagers, who welcome her back with open arms.

“Firefly” fans surely shrieked upon seeing Mal Reynolds himself as Master Karja. This isn’t Nathan Fillion’s first encounter with the Guardians, however. In the first film, he made a voiceover cameo as a blue alien inmate who gets on Groot’s bad side. Fillion was supposed to have another role in “Vol. 2” as Simon Williams, aka Wonder Man, who would’ve appeared on some fake B-movie posters in the background. Although Gunn cut the scene, he likes to think of Fillion’s cameo as canon nonetheless. Gunn also expressed hope that Fillion would get to play Williams in the MCU someday, although this may be less likely given his appearance in “Vol. 3.” We’d still like an orgosentry series with Fillion returning as Karja.

After being teased at the end of “Vol. 2,” Adam Warlock finally emerges from his cocoon in “Vol. 3.” Although Adam starts nearly killing Rocket, he winds up saving another Guardian. Attempting to retrieve his beloved Zune, Star-Lord finds himself drifting into space with his oxygen running out. At first, we thought they might pull a reverse of the original film with Gamora saving Peter. Instead, it’s Adam who rushes to Peter’s rescue, and he does so with a familiar pose. As Adam reaches his finger out to the freezing Star-Lord, he mimics Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam,” which adorns the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. In this case, though, it’s Warlock who fills the role of God while the almost lifeless Peter is Adam.

Watching the opening credits, you might’ve noticed Linda Cardellini’s name, prompting you to ask, “Laura Barton is in this movie?” No, the former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent doesn’t play a role, but Cardellini is the voice behind Lylla the otter. Lylla was a love interest to Rocket in the comics, although “Vol. 3” omits details like her inheriting a giant toy company following the murder of her parents. The film also features voicework from English comedian Asim Chaudhry as Teefs the Walrus and James Gunn regular Mikaela Hoover as Floor the Rabbit, who were originally called Wal Rus and Blackjack O’Hare in the comics. We likely won’t be seeing much more of this cuddly gang, but maybe Lylla is Laura’s patronus.

Reuniting with his grandpa, Peter settles back into a normal life. Well, normal for the MCU. On the front page of Grandpa Quill’s newspaper is a headline about Kevin Bacon and his close encounter. This alludes to the events of “The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special” where Mantis and Drax kidnap the “Footloose” star as a present to Star-Lord. Bacon is returned home, but he apparently couldn’t resist telling the press. This post-credits scene closes with the sound of Peter’s spoon banging against his bowl, calling to mind the sound of clanging metal at the conclusion of “Endgame.” Where that signified the end of Tony’s journey, the closing text suggests we may see more of Star-Lord. The verdict is still out on Bacon, though.