Even with the fate of the multiverse at stake, Avengers: Doomsday doesn't appear to be a hands-on-deck situation. Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, and Captain Marvel are just a few of the heavy hitters who look ready to sit this one out and wait until Avengers: Secret Wars rolls around before getting involved. And when it comes to teams, the Guardians of the Galaxy are easily the biggest omission from Doomsday. But Marvel Studios hasn't forgotten about the lovable losers, as a new promo for the upcoming Avengers film shows at least one of them some love.
As with every other Marvel Studios production, Doomsday is partnering with popular brands to spread the word that Earth's Mightiest Heroes are back. A new advertisement from the deodorant brand Secret follows a front desk associate at Avengers Tower who fields calls and signs for packages for Yelena Belova and Co. (via ClipMania01 on X). Near the end of the commercial, she's on the line with someone who needs help spelling Groot's name, potentially because they're looking to get in contact with the tree-like hero.
That's easier said than done because Groot is a busy alien. Of course, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 saw the original members of the titular team go their separate ways. Peter Quill returned to Earth and reunited with his grandfather; Nebula and Drax stayed on Knowhere to look after the children they rescued from the High Evolutionary; and Mantis decided to venture off into the great unknown with a group of Abilisks. However, Rocket and Groot decided it was worth keeping the team going, so they brought Kraglin, Adam Warlock, Phyla, and Cosmo into the fold.
The Guardians haven't been heard from since their last movie appearance. As Captain Marvel explained in Avengers: Endgame, though, Earth is far from the center of the universe, and plenty of other planets need protecting.
Groot and his friends are probably off doing what they do best: kicking butt and taking names. But that doesn't mean they're gone for good. As the Doomsday promo proves, the Guardians are still as relevant as ever, which means the powers that be can only keep them on ice for so long.
The Sun Will Shine on the MCU's Guardians of the Galaxy Again
James Gunn, the creative mind behind the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, received a once-in-a-lifetime oppurtunity from Warner Bros. and became co-chair of DC Studios. Building the DCU from the ground up means he has no say in what happens at Marvel Studios, even if developments affect characters he helped bring to life.
Loki showrunner Michael Waldron recently confirmed he's working on a Nova movie that will properly introduce the galactic hero. But before it puts the pedal to the metal, it will address Thanos' decimation of Xandar, the home of the Nova Corps, before the events of Avengers: Infinity War.
In Guardians of the Galaxy, the Nova Corps helped the titular team defeat Ronan, one of Thanos' lackeys. Xandar was the first place the Guardians were treated like heroes, and they took the news of Thanos' attack on the planet hard.
It feels like a safe bet that if Nova spends time on Xandar, the Guardians won't be far away. Maybe they only show up briefly, like in Thor: Love and Thunder, when they fought alongside the Asgardian before leaving him to search for Gorr. However, that would be a waste of their talents and recruiting skills. In the comics, Nova has spent time as a Guardian. His arrival in the MCU could signal a new era for a team that's ready for a second act.
