The Marvel Cinematic Universe just received the theatrical equivalent of a Thanos snap, as the entire franchise just saw a release date erased and nearly all the planned Phase 4 movies have been pushed back. As a result of this Marvel Studios calendar shakeup, we know every film we're going to see starting in late 2020 through the summer of 2022. However, there is still one Marvel movie we know is coming that still has not been dated: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Originally, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was the movie that was set to come out in May 2020. The firing of James Gunn as director ended up delaying the project, and while Gunn returned to the Marvel fold, the film has yet to be given an official release date. Of course, that doesn't change our desire to see the film, because we have several questions about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 that we need answered and will be on our minds for at least the next couple of years.
What Happened To Gamora?
Quite possibly the biggest question left over from Marvel Cinematic Universe's Phase 3 is what happened to Gamora? She was killed during Avengers: Infinity War, but then a version of her from the past time-jumped to the future. A deleted scene from Avengers: Endgame would have confirmed that she did, in fact, survive the Tony Stark snap, but since that scene wasn't in the movie, it's not technically canon. Officially speaking, we don't know if Gamora is alive or dead. If she's alive, it's anybody's guess what happened to her.
This is, of course, a question that will almost certainly be answered in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and it may actually be what the movie is ultimately about. It just wouldn't be the same of Zoe Saldana isn't a part of the film.
Who Or What Is In The Cocoon From Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2?
The biggest question that we had at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 concerned one of the film's final credits scene, where the Sovereign race had created a being with the express purpose of destroying the Guardians of the Galaxy. We only ever see the cocoon structure that is housing the being, though Ayesha, the leader, calls this being Adam.
The generally accepted theory is that "Adam" is Marvel Comics character Adam Warlock, a popular character who bares some physical resemblance to the Sovereign race we see in Guardians 2, and this is probably the case. But we've seen misdirection from Marvel before, so we can't discount the possibility this is something or someone else. James Gunn himself has hinted it could very well be something else. Either way, whatever it is, we need to know.
What Happened Between Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 And Avengers: Infinity War?
It's often overlooked, and not strictly important, but Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 actually falls much earlier in the MCU timeline than the movie appears based on its location on the theatrical calendar. Both Guardians of the Galaxy movies take place in close proximity to each other, and then several years pass before the Guardians are pulled into the events of Avengers: Infinity War. So, with that being the case, what did we miss?
Star-Lord and Gamora had clearly became closer, but how exactly did that happen? It might very well be important to the events of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3. What other experiences did the team have in between films that we didn't see?
Are Star-Lord's Cosmic Powers Really Gone?
In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, we learned that Peter Quill is half-Celestial, with his father being Ego the Living Planet. This means he has some pretty impressive capabilities that basically include the ability to shape reality itself. We're told in the film that if Ego dies, Peter will lose that power, and then Ego dies. So it would seem that Peter is back to being mostly mortal, but is that really the case?
Our understanding from the end of the first Guardians of the Galaxy is that Peter Quill's Celestial nature is part of his genetic make-up. It's part of who he is, so it doesn't make a lot of sense those powers would just be gone now. Perhaps without Ego, they're harder to access, but could they still be there if Peter figures out how to use them?
Is Nebula One Of The Guardians of the Galaxy Now?
Is there anybody in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as interesting as Nebula? She has one of the more engaging arcs of any of the major MCU characters. She's been a villain and she's fought alongside the heroes, but she's never really been a hero. Nebula's still learning how to play well with others, which makes her potential story in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 that much more interesting.
Nebula leaves Earth at the end of Avengers; Endgame with Thor and the other Guardians, but is her plan to stay with them? One assumes that Karen Gillan's Nebula will be an important character in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but that doesn't mean she'll be a member of the team. Will she be able to stand living with these people full time?
Will There Be A Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 4?
In the end, one of the biggest questions about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 is how will it end? Writer/director James Gunn has made it clear that he won't be continuing with the franchise past this film. He's also said that Vol. 3 will be the end of the story for this Guardians team, but that doesn't mean that some of the characters couldn't continue forward in a new iteration of the team, with a new creative lead.
Will the new film naturally lead into another story, or will this truly be the end of the Guardians saga? Will we see these characters in other MCU movies? Some of us have grown sort of attached to them, is what I'm saying.
Of course, the biggest question of all is when will we see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3? Right now Disney's release calendar has an open Marvel slot in October of 2022 and four slots in 2023, but it's still anybody's guess what movies will go where and when their productions might begin. James Gunn recently wrapped filming on The Suicide Squad, so once post-production is finished there, he'll likely be free to move to his other superhero franchise whenever Marvel is ready for it.
For now, we here at CinemaBlend will keep you apprised of any major updates concerning Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Be sure to also look through our Marvel movies guide to learn what else this franchise has on the way.
