Credit: Marvel StudiosThe galaxy’s favorite band of ragtag heroes is returning to the big screen for one last hurrah in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. And according to some newly-revealed promotional materials, it looks like fans can expect to see some familiar—and not-so-familiar—characters take center stage in the upcoming film.
Directed by James Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be the final installment in the Guardians franchise—at least for this particular group. While plot details have been kept under wraps, it is confirmed that the story primarily takes place sometime after the Guardians’ last MCU appearance in the Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special (2022). As of now, the last Guardians installation is set to land in theaters on May 5, 2023. Check out the trailer below:
Get ready for one last ride.
Watch the brand-new trailer for Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, written and directed by @JamesGunn. Only in theaters May 5. #GotGVol3 pic.twitter.com/om9djRFKQ1
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) February 12, 2023
Gamora (played by Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), Groot (Vin Diesel), and their hotheaded leader, Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) have been at the heart of the franchise since 2014’s highly-praised Guardians of the Galaxy, and are all returning to reprise their characters. It’s also been rumored that Sylvester Stallone’s Stakard Ogord will have a larger-than-expected role in the film.
Other memorable additions like Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and Nebula (Karen Gillan) have since rounded out the crew, leading the Guardians movies to become some of the most well-loved Marvel projects to date. Longtime fan-favorite character Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) will also join the cast in the upcoming film, along with some other familiar faces.
And Marvel might’ve dropped some big hints about who will headline the Guardians’ last epic adventure. To build hype for the upcoming superhero flick, Marvel has begun sharing new promotional materials, hinting at characters that could have significant roles in the story.
As spotted by Reddit user u/IronMan_MarkLXXXV, Drax and Cosmo the Spacedog, who was introduced in the first Guardians movie and further in the Holiday Special, have appeared on new posters on the streets, looking primed and ready to go face-to-face with whatever danger awaits. Check out the images below:
Character Posters for Drax and Cosmo spotted on the streets! – Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3
by u/IronMan_MarkLXXXV in marvelstudios
These posters might prove that Cosmo, believe it or not, will have a significant role in helping the Guardians on their final ride. Drax is more of a given, but regardless, it will be interesting to see which members of the team will take charge in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
The next Guardians installment seems to be taking a different path than its predecessors, with a darker, more somber tone that its actors have already teased. As shown in the teaser trailer, the team, and especially Peter, are still mourning the loss of Gamora. Gillan and Klementieff previously revealed that they both cried while reading Gunn’s script, hinting at what could be yet another hard-hitting character death.
And, of course, what’s a high-energy Marvel blockbuster without a menacing villain? The High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) is set to take the reins as the primary antagonist of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. First introduced in the comics, viewers got a glimpse of the mad scientist in the trailer, showing him experimenting on a baby Rocket. Because of this, Rocket’s backstory will likely be a major plot point of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
The fierce raccoon-turned-mercenary has a personal connection to The High Evolutionary, and as fans well know, Rocket will go to almost any extremes to get what he wants—in this case, revenge. But again, any specifics surrounding Marvel’s newest supervillain or his powers remain pretty hush-hush.
While these were the only two ads spotted, it’s only a matter of time before Marvel releases character posters for the rest of the team. And with the premiere date inching closer and closer, it’s possible that another trailer or promo spot will premiere sometime in April, hopefully revealing some additional details ahead of its theatrical run.
What do you think of these new Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 poster? Let us know in the comments below.