Despite their own franchise having been absent since 2017, the Guardians of the Galaxy have maintained their presence in the MCU. The intergalactic heroes appeared in Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Thor: Love and Thunder, and will soon take their talents to Disney+ in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, all before Vol. 3 hits theaters in May 2023.
The Guardians of the Galaxy have been keeping busy in the MCU, but fans are eager to see how their own tale will continue. Avengers: Endgame set the stage for the Guardians to scour the galaxy on the hunt for 2014's Gamora, who is now living in the present day.
Director James Gunn already wrapped shooting on both The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and Vol. 3. The upcoming blockbuster will introduce a whole host of new talent to the Guardians franchise, including Chukwudi Iwuji, Maria Bakalova, Nico Santos, and Will Poulter.
Now, as San Diego Comic-Con rolls around, Gunn premiered the first footage from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Guardians 3 Footage Reveals Story and Casting Details
Marvel Studios premiered footage from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 at San Diego Comic-Con which offered new details of Gamora's return and the story.
The panel also brought confirmation that Peacemaker's Chukwudi Iwuji will play the High Evolutionary, and Maria Bakalova will star as Cosmo the Space Dog.
The PopVerse described the footage in full, confirming Peter Quill finally reunites with Gamora, who will be leading the Ravagers and has no memory of her time with the Guardians. The footage also showed off the first look at Will Poulter's Adam Warlock and suggests Rocket's origin will be pivotal to the story:
"Gamora is now the leader of the Ravagers, much to the seeming surprise of Peter Quill. 'So you really don’t remember anything? About your time with us?' asks Quill. 'No,' says Gamora. The soundtrack this time is 'Do You Realize' by the Flaming Lips, because we’re suddenly in the 2000s, musicwise. Scenes of the Guardians on Earth, and also things looking bad for Rocket. Adam Warlock showed up, to cheers. The story seems to have something to do with Rocket’s origin, and we got to see a very cute young raccoon."
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's teaser is expected to remain exclusive to Comic-Con attendees with no online release.
What's the Story of Guardians of the Galaxy 3?
So, as expected, Chukwudi Iwuji will be playing the High Evolutionary and the primary antagonist of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The mad scientist villain dedicated his life in the comics to creating the perfect evolved human by combining human and animal DNA.
Based on this premise and the hints toward a young Rocket appearing, the High Evolutionary likely created Bradley Cooper's gun-slinging raccoon in the MCU. With Maria Bakalova's Cosmo also coming into play, perhaps other genetically-advanced animals will be involved; there have been rumors about Rocket's otter soulmate Lylla appearing.
Along with the High Evolutionary teases, Marvel also tucked the first look at Adam Warlock into the trailer. Sadly, this peek at Will Poulter's new hero won't be making it online for now, at least in an official capacity, so fans will have to remain patient for a while longer.
Looking at the current timeframe between MCU trailers and releases, the first trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 probably won't be released until early 2023. But The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special ought to have a trailer to offer in the next few months, with the release expected to come in December in the midst of the festive season.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters on May 5, 2023.
