Spoiler Alert: Spoilers Ahead for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 crowned the series as a trilogy. James Gunn told his vision of Peter Quill, Rocket, Drax, Gamora, Groot, Mantis, and Nebula’s story as they joined forces one more time to protect the galaxy, their home planet Knowhere, and their friend Rocket for this third installment of the series. It’s hard to tell if Vol. 3 will be the last film in the series, even if Gunn has already taken a stance on it, as the MCU has given audiences a fourth one for other characters such as Thor, but at this point, the plot of Star-Lord and the gang’s last adventure suggests that this team of space rangers will not be coming back soon.
Needless to say, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, saying a franchise is over doesn’t mean that viewers won’t see the characters again. On the contrary, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 makes a point of opening new plotlines for every member of the team before rolling the last credit (and with the post-credit scenes as well). Chances are there will be some kind of spinoff in the form of a series, movie, or any format, mainly depending on each character’s potential to tell a new story. Up next, every possible new story that Vol. 3 suggested, leaving out a fourth part, which might still be on its way.
The New Guardians of the Galaxy
The last minutes of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 found everyone taking their own path to a new life, leaving the troupe behind for self-discovery. The only two characters who did not resign were Rocket (Bradley Cooper), who becomes the new team leader, and Groot (Vin Diesel), now more mature and able to combat side-by-side with his raccoon friend as a valuable warrior.
The Guardians were then renewed, incorporating figures such as Adam Warlock (Will Pouter), a powerful fighter who sides with Vol. 3’s villain but was redeemed by the end, Kraglin (Sean Gunn), Yondu Udonta’s ex-second-in-command in the Ravagers, Cosmo (Maria Bakalova), the Russian talking dog with psychic powers, Phyla (Kai Zen), one of the rescued kids, and Blurp, Adam’s pet creature.
These new Guardians will likely make cameo appearances for future movies and series. However, it’s hard to say if they are getting a whole spinoff for themselves and are even less likely to have three full-blown features. They might be better suited for a special presentation or a short series, but this resides in Kevin Feige’s secret plan for the MCU’s future.
Drax and Mantis’ Future
There’s some obvious romantic tension between Drax (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff). Even though their paths take different turns by the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3, the two have great chemistry together, which really stands out in Vol. 2 and 3, most notably in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. By the end of Vol. 3, Drax found his role in life as a father of the children created by the High Evolutionary, and Mantis went away on the road to self-discovery.
Despite parting ways, the two work great together, so a new special with the two as leads would make perfect sense, and a new holiday special would be the right format for a new adventure featuring Drax and Mantis (and maybe, a romantic finale!).
Gamora, the Ravager
Gamora’s (Zoe Saldaña) storyline was truly original. If Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 had been more predictable, she would have fallen back in love with Peter, the perfect excuse to return to the Guardian squad. Yet, Gamora’s alternative version found peace with The Ravagers, a group of space mercenaries. A short but sweet scene shows her hugging most of her colleagues when returning to them.
There’s still a story to tell for her, and the Ravagers would actually make for a good spinoff short series, a mission-based one across the universe. Besides, the iconic actor Sylvester Stallone made a small cameo as a high-ranked ravager in Vol. 3, so it would be a shame if his character didn’t get a more relevant arc in the MCU. It’s worth noting that Zoe Saldaña might have already given a verdict on this potential spinoff.
Star-Lord’s Happy Ending
This would be the most evident spinoff, as the second post-credit scene confirmed his future return. By the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3, Peter Quill’s (Chris Pratt) nostalgia for Earth and his closure after coming to terms with Gamora’s death (and alternate Gamora’s true personality) give him the perfect excuse to go back to his home planet to reunite with his living grandfather.
In a very emotional moment, Peter hugs his long-lost grandpa, and he’s later shown to lead a normal boring life, which he seems quite happy with.
Star-Lord deserves one final movie, a solo film like Black Widow. This time, it would work as a conclusion for Peter’s story arc, probably returning to space for one last adventure. Small cameos in other franchises are also likely, but at this point, Star-Lord should have some kind of epilogue like Captain America or Iron Man (minus the tragic finale, hopefully).
All in all, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 did an excellent job closing story arcs and adding a good set of newcomers to the lovable characters from the franchise. The universe set by James Gunn is interesting enough to spawn more stories, and the third movie did a good job teasing them, but it’s ultimately Feige’s call to extend the life of Star-Lord and the gang with new content.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
