Top 10 Things To Remember Before Guardians of the Galaxy 3

The 2018 controversy surrounding writer-director James Gunn seems so long ago now, but the subsequent delays almost certainly played a hand in the final product we’re getting. After Disney cut ties with Gunn over some old tweets, the fans - while not condoning the content of the statements - largely asked for his reinstatement. Disney eventually reversed their decision, but not before Gunn made a deal with DC to helm “The Suicide Squad” and the follow-up series “Peacemaker.” Gunn’s new commitments coupled with the pandemic saw “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” being pushed from 2020 all the way to 2023. It’s been a long, emotional road, and hopefully Gunn’s ostensible swan song with the MCU hits a satisfying chord - more on that later.

Getting into the in-universe stuff, one of the biggest developments since the last “Guardians” movie didn’t even happen on-screen. Opening “Avengers: Infinity War” in a big way, Thanos reveals he’s already acquired the Power Stone from Xandar. Seeing as the stone was being held at the headquarters of the Nova Corps, the galaxy’s policing force, it’s not hard to conjecture that the Corps took some heavy, if not devastating losses. Granted, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” takes place at least seven years after “Infinity War,” and any snapped Corps members have returned. But it’s still unclear what the Corps’ presence - if any - looks like in the galaxy. But speaking of the snap…

When Thanos uses all the Infinity Stones at the end of the third “Avengers” movie, exactly half the universe is randomly snapped away. The Guardians however are particularly unlucky, losing two-thirds of their surviving roster. Coupled with Gamora’s death earlier in the film, and suddenly Rocket and Nebula are the only remaining members. The five-year time jump at the beginning of “Endgame” sees the former Guardians continuing their dealings with the Avengers, which eventually leads to their assisting them in reversing the snap. At the end of the day, all five deceased Guardians are brought back in some fashion, but look for this gap in time to affect those who stayed and those who left equally.

Speaking of returning Guardians, Gamora’s situation in “Vol. 3” is a little different than those who were snapped. As you’ll recall, Gamora dies before the “Infinity War” finale when Thanos sacrifices her to obtain the Soul Stone. Meaning that version of Gamora, who found a family in the Guardians and fell in love with Peter Quill, is really gone. In her place is 2014 Gamora, a version of her before the events of the first movie who travels nine years into the future with Thanos in “Endgame.” While this Gamora also makes the decision to betray Thanos, her limited experiences has estranged her from Guardians. She’ll serve as the leader of the Ravagers in “Vol. 3,” potentially in conflict with the Guardians.

Somewhat of an antithesis of the Nova Corps, the Ravagers are an interstellar crime syndicate with numerous factions. With the Nova Corps seemingly out of commission - and there being no shortage of space pirates - we’re willing to bet galactic lawlessness has become more pronounced since “Infinity War.” While we don’t yet know exactly how the Ravagers will fit into the larger story of “Vol. 3,” there will be at least a couple familiar faces returning - Michael Rosenbaum and Sylvester Stallone have been confirmed to reprise their roles from “Vol. 2” as Martinex and Stakar Ogord, respectively. Whatever the Ravagers look like this time around, Gamora will be sure to shake things up as their head honcho.

While “Thor: Love and Thunder” doesn’t change too much for “Guardians” lore, it does officially introduce former ravager Kraglin to the team, having joined sometime after the events of “Endgame.” Surprisingly, the “Holiday Special” also fills in gaps in the Guardians’ timeline, they having purchased Knowhere from the Collector, he apparently not having died in “Infinity War.” Having the severed Celestial head as a headquarters will surely help them centralize their operations, but the Knowhere reveal doesn’t just confirm the Collector’s survival. Having last been seen on Knowhere in the first “Guardians” movie, Cosmo the Spacedog has also joined the team. Voiced by Maria Bakalova, she’ll be sure to make an impact in “Vol. 3,” too.

Seriously, if you decided to skip the “Holiday Special,” you missed out on a lot of revelations. Back in “Vol. 2,” it’s revealed that Peter’s father is actually a Celestial named Ego, whose desire to subsume everything in the universe leads him to sire countless offspring. While Mantis is initially introduced as Ego’s servant, it turns out that she too is one of these offspring. Mantis keeps this information from Peter for fear of stoking his daddy-related trauma, but ultimately comes out with it after her and Drax’s plan to revive Peter’s Christmas spirit fails. The Guardians have always been a found family, even with Gamora and Nebula as adoptive sisters, but this blood relation will surely only strengthen the team’s bond.

On par with the original Thanos tease coming through, the one for Adam Warlock was six years in the making, but is finally coming to fruition. A subplot from “Vol. 2” sees the Guardians make enemies out of the Sovereign, a genetically-engineered race of intergalactic baddies. Their leader Ayesha particularly wants revenge on the Guardians, revealing she’s created a new being called “Adam.” If actor Will Poulter’s Adam Warlock is as powerful as he is in the comics, both the Guardians and other parties will certainly have their hands full. While it’s mostly unknown what Adam’s status has been since “Vol. 2,” reports of him being like a “baby” seem to indicate that the Snap may have interfered some with his birthing timeline.

More than any other character, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” will be Rocket’s movie. While we’ve gotten pieces of Rocket’s backstory, “Vol. 3” will fill in holes in a big way. Not only will we be getting flashbacks, but we’ll also be introduced to the High Evolutionary, Rocket’s creator, played by “Peacemaker” actor Chukwudi Iwuji. The High Evolutionary looks to be the big bad, but he’s not the only one coming out of Rocket’s past. Lylla, an anthropomorphic otter, will also be making her live-action debut here, being a former associate and love interest to our favorite trash panda. We don’t know for sure if Lylla will have a similar origin to Rocket, but we’re sure she’ll make for a great addition.

The third entry in a trilogy is all about wrapping things up, and the MCU has made sure theirs feel somewhat thematic in that way, too. James Gunn has stated multiple times that “Vol. 3” will be his last “Guardians” film, though he has said some characters could continue without him. That part is obviously up to Marvel, but someone else we know will be leaving the MCU is Drax himself, Dave Bautista. Bautista has expressed a desire to pursue more dramatic roles with less time in the makeup chair, which is certainly understandable. That doesn’t necessarily mean anything for Drax in this installment, but early looks definitely indicate that this may be the end of the Guardians as we know them.