Set to arrive a full six years after the second movie, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is finally in the works. The victim of various delays, some of them scandalous, the cosmic threequel is at last knee-deep in production.
But, along with the excitement for this grand conclusion to the trilogy, there’s also some apprehension about the film arriving, knowing it marks the final time this particular version of the team will unite on screen.
We’ve known this for a while, but director James Gunn reaffirmed that this is definitely the end of the line for the gang in a recent interview. “This is the end for us, the last time people will see this team of Guardians,” the filmmaker told Deadline. It’s an emotional statement for fans to read, but apparently even more so for the Guardians themselves.
Following Deadline tweeting out Gunn’s comment, Nebula star Karen Gillan reacted to it with a series of crying and heart emojis.
This is truly the last tour for the band, then, but what fans are wondering now is which of the characters will make it to the end credits alive and which won’t. Given that Groot and Yondu both sacrificed themselves in the first two movies, the odds are high that at least one more Guardian will die in Vol. 3.
The smart money would seem to be on Rocket, but you never know, there could be a surprise to come. What if Gillan’s Nebula completes her redemption arc by dying to save her teammates?
Then again, Gunn only says the threequel is the last time the full team will assemble, not that none of these heroes will be seen again. In that case, Nebula might have a future ahead of her in the MCU after all. Following her prominent roles in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, Thanos’ second daughter could easily join the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, or maybe even A-Force, once the Guardians break up.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is scheduled to blast into theaters on May 5, 2023.
