‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ release leaves the Marvel masses with one demand above all others

The MCU has a lot hanging on the success of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Audiences have left theaters unimpressed with the last several MCU releases, and some fans are concerned that Guardians Vol. 3 will be another Quantumania letdown. While some have argued that time will serve Quantumania well, far too many viewers were disheartened by the release, which simply didn’t manage to marry the humor of the typical Ant-Man outing with the drama of a new big bad in any way that affected audiences. The Guardians films, like the Ant-Man films, are known for their humor, and some viewers are convinced Vol. 3 will once again fail to properly combine solid tension and genuine emotion alongside its classic comedy.

There’s one thing fans want more than anything, as it turns out, and it’s not the proper balance between heart and humor. Instead — banking on knowledge that this will be the last Guardians outing — audiences are looking for some closure. They’ve fallen in love with the team over the course of a handful of releases (and even a Christmas special) and they want some loose ends tied up.

One of the biggest demands on the rise among Guardians stans is actually quite simple, and far sweeter than one might imagine. Shared to Reddit’s Marvel Studios sub, one hopeful viewer expressed their desire to see more scenes in Vol. 3 that emphasize “how close Nebula and Rocket have become.”

It’s true. Over two dedicated team outings and several more massive Avengers stand-offs, Rocket and Nebula have formed a close bond. Nebula is far more interwoven with each member of the team than she’d likely admit, actually, after years of gracing them with her grouchy, violent input. She and Rocket share a special bond, however, one that was further established in the Guardians of the Galaxy Christmas Special.

In the charming 44-minute special, Nebula showcases her love for Rocket via an extremely unexpected gift. In a glorious followthrough of one of the MCU’s longstanding jokes, the daughter of Thanos gifts Rocket an item he’s been wanting for a while now: Bucky’s Vibranium arm. Rocket had noted his desire for the arm before and even asserted that he was going to “get that arm” eventually.

And he did, thanks to a kind gesture from Nebula. She gave him what is perhaps the greatest Christmas gift of all time in the special, and it cemented the pair as many fans’ favorite Guardians duo. Rocket and Groot will always be besties, of course, but these days, Rocket is closer to a surrogate dad than anything else. That leaves a perfect, Nebula-sized hole at Rocket’s side, and fans are desperately hoping to see the Luphomoid assassin fill it.