Where Does The MCU Go After Avengers: Infinity War?

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3

At the moment, although we know that several other ongoing character series will be continuing with their own sequels within the MCU, the only other officially announced film in Phase Four is Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3. Set for release some time in 2020 – after a 2019 that’s packed with Marvel Cinematic Universe revelations – it has one, very big issue to deal with. That issue is, Gamora.

In Avengers: Infinity War, Gamora didn’t dissolve. Rather, she was flung from atop a high cliff by her adoptive father, Thanos, to enable him to collect the Soul Stone. Of all the character losses in that movie, it seems at first glance that her demise might be the only one that’s of a more permanent nature. Certainly, she has yet to be confirmed for the Guardians sequel, but it’s the rumored presence of the character of Adam Warlock that puts the most compelling spin on this issue.

In the comic books, Warlock (or Him) is a powerful being created by a group of scientists on Earth called the Enclave. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he was already referenced in Vol. 2 by the character Ayesha in a post-credits sequence. If he does indeed feature in this third Guardians installment, his creation may differ slightly from his comic book origins, but it’s his connection to Gamora that will be of the most interest.

In the comic books, Adam Warlock teams with Gamora on a number of occasions, for a number of quests. He also takes possession of the Soul Stone, and it’s from this that he draws a greater level of power. The Soul Stone itself has a consciousness and contains a ‘pocket universe’ in which the souls of those that fall foul of its powers are trapped.

So, could it be that the resolution of Gamora’s predicament arising from Avengers: Infinity War is that her soul is trapped inside the Soul Stone (since she was sacrificed before it by Thanos) and, crucially, that Adam Warlock is instrumental in her liberation and return? The notion of the Soul Stone containing a ‘pocket universe’ has yet to be explored in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which makes it ripe for inclusion as a massive franchise-wide plot twist.

Perhaps this is where our beloved dissolved Avengers find themselves after Infinity War. Perhaps, since it’s a ‘pocket universe,’ Ant-Man and The Wasp’s expertise in the Quantum Realm – gained in the upcoming Ant-Man And The Wasp – will prove very useful in Avengers 4.

Only time will tell, but color us intrigued.