Even though Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 isn't set to release until 2023, the long-awaited threequel is already one of Marvel Studios' most anticipated upcoming films.
While Avengers: Endgame served as a worthy conclusion to several MCU characters' stories, audiences were left on a cliffhanger in terms of the Guardians. All that fans do know is both director James Gunn and members of the cast have teased its emotional, tear-jerker script and the potential for it to be the franchise's final chapter.
Naturally, this has led to speculation about which characters will live to guard another day and who will take their final bow; and a new batch of predictions prompted James Gunn to chime in with a hint or two.
James Gunn Responds to Guardians Vol. 3 Speculation
In an article theorizing the potential fate of the cosmic, ragtag crew, ScreenRant predicted that Peter Quill's Star-Lord, Mantis, Gamora, Nebula, and Groot will survive Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, while both Rocket and Drax are likely to sacrifice themselves.
Director James Gunn, who has a reputation for discussing his projects and interacting with fans on social media, responded to the article with the following Tweet:
"They got at least one right."
When asked if it was possible that the article correctly guessed two things right as opposed to Gunn's confirmed one, the director tweeted back saying:
"That would be saying too much."
When another Twitter user complained about Gunn possibly spoiling elements of the upcoming film, Gunn pointed out that his "hint" confirmed nothing in his response:
"You didn't know what was going to happen before I posted this and you still don't know afterwards."
Will Drax & Rocket Survive Gunn's Vol. 3?
While Gunn pointed out that fans still don't know what's going to happen in Vol. 3, it's worth noting that Dave Bautista, who plays Drax the Destroyer, has vocalized his issues with the studio's handling of his character more than once.
Due to his complaints, coupled with his rising stardom in roles like Dune, he may be done with the MCU even if that's not what Gunn had originally planned.
Rocket's potential death also makes sense, as his character has arguably received the most development throughout his run in the MCU and particularly in Avengers: Endgame. However, due to his popularity - and the fact that he has worked with other Avengers and Thor - his crossover potential may mean Marvel Studios has other plans for him.
Along those lines, Karen Gillan's Nebula is also a possibility, as both Infinity War and Endgame helped to complete her character's arc and the threequel is expected to focus on both Nebula and Gamora.
Now Gunn has confirmed that Vol. 3 will feature "other worlds and alien beings" and even suggested that the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special for Disney+ will feature "one of the greatest MCU characters of all time."
Therefore, there's a potential for the cast to expand before the credits roll on Vol. 3; and since the Guardians are expected to appear in Thor: Love and Thunder, there's clearly a lot of story still left to tell when it comes to the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to release on May 5, 2023.
