Bloodthirsty ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ theory suggests ‘Vol. 3’ could be Marvel’s biggest massacre

The MCU isn’t afraid to kill off its main characters, as long as it plays a role in the narrative. But it also finds ways to bring them back to life (looking at you, Vision and Gamora). And with the release of the recent Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 trailer, it is more likely that this ragtag intergalactic superhero team might find themselves at the end of their journey for good, based on this new Marvel theory.

Reddit user u/DB10389 predicted on r/MarvelStudios that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is where a majority of the main cast members will be killed on screen, marking this the largest permanent bloodshed Marvel Studios will pull off. OP theorizes that Drax and Mantis will most likely die in the film, while there is a small chance the same could happen to Gamora considering that she’s from another timeline.

However, OP doesn’t know what’s going to happen to Rocket in the film and predicts that he’s either going to find his happy ending or leave the team. Or he might suffer the same fate as his teammates and perish as well. The only ones who remain are Star-Lord and Groot.

On the surface, this theory makes sense, especially for Drax after it was revealed that Vol 3. will be Dave Bautista’s final MCU movie. Fans, however, still have hope that this fellow Guardian might receive a happy ending. Also, if you watch the trailer carefully, you’d see that the Guardians are carrying Peter Quill’s body. But it can also be assumed that it may be a misdirection, like how Marvel managed to remove the other Spider-Men in the Far From Home trailer.

While some remain hopeful that our fellow Guardians would make it to the end, the film’s director James Gunn warned fans last year of “emotional devastation” once the film is out. Gunn also pointed out that Rocket Raccoon is going to be the main focus of the third movie, and the trailer’s description on YouTube says “get ready for one last ride.” So perhaps something major is going to happen to our fellow heroes, whether that may be death or a happy ending.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3. will fly its way into theaters on May 4, 2023.