The epic conclusion to the GOTG saga, “Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3,” will raise the emotional stakes of the characters, especially Rocket Raccoon, whose tragic past will also be explored in the film. The guardians had been gone for quite a while, as Star-Lord states at the very beginning of the trailer, but they are still the galaxy’s guardians. But there’s no telling just how much the universe has really changed in the five years since the blip, and they may have to face a threat unlike any other.
The trailer brings on Mantis’s words to never forget where one has come from. This evidently suggests that “Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3” will explore the characters’ backstories. And one of the main aspects of exploration seems to be Gamora, whom we last saw in “Avengers: Endgame.” She was brought back by Doctor Strange, but her whereabouts since then have been unknown until now. This film is probably Peter Quill’s last chance to redeem his love for Gamora. So things will be intense between them as well.
The teaser trailer also depicts Rocket Raccoon in his early days and his ladylove, Lylla (an otter), who will also debut in the film. We also get to see baby Raccoon, which brings us to the antagonist in the film, i.e., High Evolutionary. In the comics, High Evolutionary goes back to 1966 when he debuted in Thor #134. As unusual as it may sound, High Evolutionary, formerly Dr. Herbert Wyndham, hails from England. Head over heels for evolution, Wyndham turned animals and humans into a hybrid species. He even evolved himself using his immense knowledge and made his own version of Earth, Counter-Earth, that consisted of these hybrids. It is his intention to be a god to his creations that makes him villainous. In the film, the character will be played by Chukwudi Iwuji.
In the comics, it is High Evolutionary who gave Adam the title of “Warlock.” Thus making his arrival to the big screen after being introduced in a “Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2” post-credit scene, we have Adam Warlock played by Will Poulter. Introduced in 1967 in Fantastic Four #66–67, he is one of the universe’s most powerful warriors. It is the High Evolutionary who gave Adam Warlock the gem that we see on his forehead. If we go by the comics, it is the soul gem or soul stone (one of the Infinity Stones). If the same stone is shown in the film (although this is unlikely), we will find out about the stone’s past as well. Keeping in mind his connection with the Fantastic Four alongside the Guardians, we might just have more Fantastic Four Easter eggs in the film. However, it is not Adam Warlock but another of High Evolutionary’s creations that deserve more attention, i.e., Rocket Raccoon.
While the arrival of Rocket’s creator does prove that his tragic past will be explored (he was tortured as a part of High Evolutionary’s experiments), the debut of his love interest from the comics, the genetically-engineered otter Lady Lylla also proves that it will involve those near and dear to him. His childhood in an asylum, his intention to stop running from his past (as shown in the trailer), and director James Gunn’s statement that his motivation to return and direct the third installment of the franchise was to give him a deserved send-off—all of these seem to tell that Rocket Raccoon will face his end. Now, whether he survives or not, we do not know.
It is clear that “Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3” will be darker than its predecessors. Furthermore, the rumor of Lady Gaga doing Lylla’s voice and Bradley Cooper doing Rocket’s adds more weight to the whole scenario, with both actors coming together for the first time after their brilliant chemistry in “A Star is Born.” Let’s also not forget that Quill has just learned from Mantis that they are siblings. So this angle might also be explored, adding another emotional layer to the film. We do not see Cosmo the Spacedog (from the “Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special”) in the trailer, but she might turn up in the film too.
At Comic-Con 2022, James Gunn made it clear that “Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3” will be the last adventure of the group. However, this doesn’t mean that all of them will die. Rocket Raccoon might have closure, and since Dave Bautista has said that he will not return to Marvel after this film, Drax will probably die as well. As for the other characters like Groot and Mantis, spinoffs are always possible. Gamora and Peter Quill can easily turn up in future Avengers films. Even Adam Warlock was a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy in the comics (2008’s Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2 #1), so MCU can improvise upon this too. However, the fact is the OGs won’t be together anymore.
“Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3” will be released exclusively in theaters on May 5, 2023. It will be the second film in Phase 5 of the MCU.
