The Plot

Avengers: End Game served as the ending of the Avengers storyline and a bridge to the future. According to James Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is expected to do the same for this iteration of the Guardians.

“One of the things I’m doing with creating Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, it will take place after the next two Avengers movies and it will help to set up the next 10, 20 years of Marvel movies. It’s going to really expand the cosmic universe. We’re going to be setting up new characters. It will be the last movie of this version of Guardians of the Galaxy.” – James Gunn

Therefore, there have been many rumors that suggest we’ll see some new Guardians take up the mantle and that we may even see the original Guardians, led by Sylvester Stallone’s Stakar Ogord.

Now, at the end of Endgame we also saw Thor joining the Guardians of the Galaxy. However, Thor’s involvement in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has yet to be confirmed. Although we last saw them together, James Gunn has announced that Thor: Love and Thunder will take place before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Therefore, anything could happen. The Guardians could also be in Thor: Love and Thunder and we could see Thor’s time with the Guardians end very shortly after the end scenes of Endgame.

Despite the unknowns, we do know some things about the film’s plot. For example, James Gunn has confirmed that the movie will complete Rocket’s character arc. This has led to some rumors about what that character arc will be. Roger Wardell, who many MCU fans believe to be the most trusted leaker of MCU news has tweeted that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will reveal Rocket’s creator as the High Evolutionary and that the trash panda will gain a new love interest in Lylla. Wardell has also said Drax will find out that his daughter is still alive and that Nebula and Star Lord will become closer friends. Although there is no concrete evidence that suggests Wardell’s leaks are true, many of his former MCU leaks have all turned out to be extremely accurate.

Release Date

May 5th, 2023

The Cast and Crew

The core Guardians team will return for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, but here’s the most up-to-date list of who has confirmed roles.

• Director: James Gunn
• Peter Quill/Star Lord: Chris Pratt
• Drax: Dave Bautista
• Rocket Racoon: Bradley Cooper
• Groot: Vin Diesel
• Nebula: Karen Gilllan
• Mantis: Pom Klementieff
• Ayesha: Elizabeth Debicki
• Kraglin: Sean Gunn
• The High Evolutionary: Chukwudi Iwuji
• Adam Warlock: Will Poulter
• Cosmo the Space Dog: Maria Bakalova

Rumors and Theories

Now, here are some of the rumors and theories circulating around the internet about the plot and casting of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. As these rumors are confirmed or discredited, we’ll let you know below.  

Plot Rumors and Theories

• The High Evolutionary will be the movie’s villain. So far, each of the movies that the Guardians have been involved with have centered around the plot of one of the member’s family. In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1, the main villain was Ronan the Accuser, who killed Drax’ family. Then in Vol 2, Peter Quill’s father EGO was the villain and Gamora and Nebula’s father Thanos reigned supreme in Infinity War and Endgame. Now, fans believe it’s Rocket’s turn for a blast from the past. The High Evolutionary is a villain that is infamous for his animal/genetics research and there have already been rumors that he was the creator of both Rocket and Howard the Duck. With Howard the Duck expected to get more screen time and rumors that Lylla will be in the film, there is a high chance we’ll see the High Evolutionary in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
• Gamora will be the movie’s villain. A deleted scene from Avengers: Endgame shows Gamora leaving the battlefield, confirming that Tony’s snap did not turn her to dust. As Star Lord sets out to search for his true love, we could see the 2014 version of Gamora wreaking havoc for the Guardians.
• Nova will appear in the movie. The appearance of Nova has been rumored for some time now. Back in 2017 when James Gunn was asked if Richard Rider’s version of Nova could appear in 3, he said, “Yes definitely. Nova comes up occasionally as someone we might use”.
• Drax will find out his daughter is alive. Famed MCU leaker Roger Wardell leaked information that Drax will find out that his daughter is still alive in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Although this is not confirmed, it isn’t far off from the comics where Kamaria is still alive under the pseudo, Moondragon. Some rumors also suggest that Ronan did not kill Kamaria but instead brought her to Thanos to be made into a soldier – much like Gamora. With rumors that a 2014 Gamora is on the loose, we could very much see these theories intertwine into a compelling story.
• Quasar and Beta Ray Bill will appear in the film. When James Gunn completed a draft of the script in 2018, both characters were reportedly in the film. However, it isn’t known whether this script included the events of Endgame or if Gunn changed the script after being rehired. Interestingly, Beta Ray Bill was introduced as an Easter Egg in Thor: Ragnarok and it would make sense to tie him into Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – assuming Thor is indeed still with the Guardians. Kevin Fiege has also revealed that more LGBTQ characters will join the MCU in the future. The newest Quasar in the comics is Avril Kincaid, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and a lesbian. Could this iteration of Quasar appear in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?
• All the Guardians will die. James Gunn keeps talking about the fact that this film will introduce a whole new set of Guardians, so what will happen to the team that we already have? When asked about the possibility of character deaths he said, “I can’t remember ANY comic book film where someone didn’t die.” Cryptic much? Well, much like how the Avengers disassembled in Endgame, we could expect to see some Guardians sacrifice their life for the greater good, or leaving the team in search of something new.
• Adam Warlock will be in the film. The appearance of Adam Warlock has been teased for many years throughout the MCU and we have yet to actually see him in a film. Therefore, fans believe it’s about time he makes his debut in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Casting Rumors and Theories

• Lady Gaga will play Lylla. It’s very clear from A Star is Born that Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper have some intense chemistry. So much so that Marvel may be using it in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. According to rumors and news reports, Lady Gaga may be playing Lylla, Rocket’s love interest and better half.
• The High Evolutionary will be played by Mark Hamill. Since early 2018, we’ve all heard the rumors that Mark Hamill will be in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. A fan reached out to James Gunn via Twitter and asked for a favor and find a role for Hamill in the upcoming film. Gunn replied, “I think @HamillHimself lives around the corner from me in Malibu so he can just come over and we can talk about it over a cup of coffee”. Since then, fans have been back and forth on who Hamill will play and whether he’ll actually be in the film at all. However, a recent leak from 4chan claims that Hamill will indeed be in the film and that he will play the film’s unconfirmed villain, The High Evolutionary.
• Zac Efron will play Adam Warlock. Now this casting rumor is just that – a rumor. There is no solid evidence or proof behind the accusation, and the rumors seems to be a fun game fans are playing after constantly being denied Adam Warlock. You can even check out some fan art, depicting Zac Effron as Adam Warlock here.
• Keanu Reeves will play Adam Warlock. Kevin Fiege has confirmed that they have been in talks with Keanu Reeves about joining the MCU. In fact, he said, “We talk to him for almost every film we make… I don’t know when, if, or ever he’ll join the MCU, but we very much want to figure out the right way to do it.” Therefore, fans have gone crazy contemplating how he could be introduced into the MCU. One theory is that he’ll actually play the much-anticipated Adam Warlock.

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Have you heard of any rumors or information about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3? Type it out in the comments!