The Guardians of the Galaxy are returning soon. Currently, a 2022 release date seems possible. The film was originally slated for 2021 before the whole James Gunn controversy. 2022 may seem early and 2023 is still a possibility but I wouldn’t bet against Marvel Studios. They are on a winning streak and they are making projects at ridiculously fast speeds now.
Now let’s figure out where the final installment in the Guardians of the Galaxy can go.
We Have To Deal with Thor, Obviously
We are lucky that Thor Love and Thunder may alter the plans for Thor’s role within the Guardians of the Galaxy. Yes, I don’t want Thor in Guardians. Simply due to the fact, Vol.3 is going to be the last hurrah and we don’t need Thor in it. Still, I wouldn’t be surprised if he does cameo or they mention him throughout the film because the Guardians of the Galaxy are now more connected to the greater MCU after the events of Infinity War/Endgame.
Thor Love and Thunder will be out in 2021, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 will likely be 2022/2023. If Marvel sticks with their time formula the events of Love and Thunder will take place before Vol.3. But who knows at this rate we may even see Vol.3 start minutes after Tony Stark’s funeral on Earth…
Adam Warlock May Appear
The popular Marvel character was teased during one of the post-credit scenes in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2. The powerful character will likely be in the third installment of Guardians. Adam Warlock will probably play a bigger role in the MCU as they develop the cosmic side. Back in 2019, rumors floated that Zac Efron could be up for the role of Adam Warlock. I’m sure as we inch closer to more details about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3, Adam Warlock will be on a lot of prediction lists.
Howard the Duck might get a bigger setup
Seth Green’s Howard the Duck has been around in the MCU since the 2014 Guardians film. His character made a brief cameo in Vol.2 and Howard the Duck was a part of the Final Battle during Avengers: Endgame. It’s safe to assume this character will be around for a final hurrah in Vol.3. But what if it’s leading to a larger set-up within the MCU? Now with Disney+ the MCU has more storytelling ability. Could Howard the Duck make a full-fledged comeback into the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Lylla and Beta Ray Bill could show up
Lylla is an otter and she is Rocket Raccoon’s soulmate. She was teased all the way back in the first Guardians of the Galaxy film within this “easter egg” photo. Lady Gaga was even teased for the role due to her connection and chemistry with Rocket Raccoon voice and A Star is Born co-star Bradley Cooper. It’s expected that Rocket Raccoon will have a prominent storyline in Vol.3. Making Lylla truly a possibility. Maybe Rocket will have to decide between his Guardians family or Lylla?
The other character that could show up is Beta Ray Bill. The character could also show up in Thor Love and Thunder. If Beta Ray Bill shows up it most likely means two things. He’s either helping the Guardians we love and know or he will be a part of the next era of Guardians, more on that later.
Fox Characters Hinted At
I don’t think any Fox characters will outright appear because Gunn wrote the film before the Disney-Fox deal. Maybe we get a line of dialogue about something that the Guardians didn’t acknowledge before. But with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige already confirming Fantastic Four and Mutants are in the future for, Marvel. It is safe to assume that characters like Galactus and Silver Surfer will be introduced later on. Although after the post-credit scenes in Spider-Man: Far From Home anything can happen.
The New Guardians?
There is a possibility we could see a new Guardians of the Galaxy team emerge at the end of the third film. There is a ton of characters that Marvel Studios can choose from too. Could we see Quasar, Cosmo, Adam Warlock, Moondragon, and others form a new team? Could Richard Rider as Nova get introduced to lead a new team? Could we see fan-favorite Beta Ray Bill get a shot or even some Fox cosmic characters Marvel Studios couldn’t use?
What about Sylvester Stallone’s Starhawk and the OG Guardians? I don’t think you assemble a cast like Michelle Yeoh (Aleta Ogord), Ving Rhames (Charlie-27), Michael Rosenbaum (Martinex), and Miley Cyrus (Mainframe) and not use them going forward either. There could be multiple Guardians of the Galaxy teams in the new era of the MCU.
Marvel Studios has endless possibilities on how to move their popular cosmic franchise forward. There is many places that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 could go and these are just some of the possibilities. All we know for sure is that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 was written by James Gunn, and it will also be directed by him. The cast includes Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff, Karen Gillan, Sean Gunn, and Elizabeth Debecki.
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Zach Perilstein is the Editor-in-Chief of the Boardwalk Times
