When will the Guardians of the Galaxy appear in the MCU again?

❘ Published: 2023-05-08T20:13:40

Marvel Studios

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 may have ended the trilogy, but that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the line for all of the Guardians in the MCU. Here are where each of the characters could appear next.

A heartfelt and somewhat traumatizing send-off to the MCU’s odd found family, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has drawn wide praise for how it ended the stories of the entire gang.

While many fans were anticipating that (at least some) of the Guardians might be killed off or ride into the sunset together, many of the characters ended the movie in a new equilibrium that could allow for a reunion someday.

Here’s when each of the Guardians of the Galaxy could appear in a future MCU movie. Note: spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will follow.

When could the new Guardians of the Galaxy return to the MCU?

At the end of the movie, the MCU still has its Guardians of the Galaxy… but not the ones fans are mostly accustomed to.

When Guardians 3 ends, the team is made up of leader Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Craglin, Cosmo the Spacedog, Adam Warlock, and Phyla. The Guardians are out there still protecting the galaxy, and it seems that they are set up to potentially return in a future MCU installment.

And there’s a very obvious candidate.

The inclusion of Phyla, one of the candidates rescued from The High Evolutionary, clearly connects these Guardians to Captain Marvel. In the comics, Phyla-Vell is the daughter of Mar-Vell, who has already been established in the MCU. Perhaps in a future Captain Marvel movie, Phyla will discover some connection to Mar-Vell or Carol Danvers and go on an adventure with the Guardians.

When could Star-Lord return to the MCU?

While Guardians 3 seemed to be the send-off for the whole team, the post-credits scene and tag did confirm that “the Legendary Star-Lord will return,” which already has fans speculating when Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill could re-appear.

Since Peter Quill ends the movie on Earth with his grandfather, it’s a bit hard to figure out where he could fit into the MCU’s future.

An obvious option would be for Peter to get tangled up in the Secret Wars storyline, since it’s likely that at least two of the Avengers who know Peter (Dr. Strange and Spider-Man) will be involved.

When could Gamora return to the MCU?

At the end of Vol. 3, Gamora is one of the Ravagers alongside Stakar, no longer connected to the other Guardians other than through her link to her sister Nebula.

It’s not clear how the Ravagers and Gamora could figure into a future MCU title, and Zoe Saldana has said that Vol. 3 will be her last appearance as Gamora. However, there is the possibility that someone else could don the green makeup and play Gamora in a future movie, whether it involves the Guardians, the Marvels, or even the Fantastic Four.

What about the other former Guardians on Knowhere?

Drax and Nebula end the movie ruling/watching over the people of Knowhere, including those saved from The High Evolutionary. Dave Bautista, who plays Drax, has also said that his time in the MCU is over, and it’s not clear whether Karen Gillan would return as Nebula. Like Gamora, though, it would be relatively easier to re-cast Drax and Nebula.

It seems that their time as Guardians is at its end, but they could be roped back into the fold. Perhaps they might be the founders of the MCU’s version of the Knowhere Corps, a group founded to protect Knowhere that once included Cosmo and Mantis in the comics.

Speaking of, Mantis left Knowhere on her own with three Abilisks on a journey of self-discovery. In the comics, Mantis actually has a close connection to Kang the Conqueror as his bride, so she would make a lot of sense to show up in Kang Dynasty or Secret Wars in some capacity.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 is in cinemas now. You can read our review here, while for more on the movie, head to our dedicated GOTG page, or check out the below articles…