Credit: Marvel StudiosThe real protagonist of the Guardians?
If Marvel fans were to guess who was the protagonist of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, there’s little doubt that most, if not all, would name Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) as that character. He’s charismatic, an underdog, and it would seem that each film centers around him finding out about himself or saving the Galaxy. James Gunn, however, has a different idea, which he has just now revealed.
Related: Return of Fan-Favorite Characters Subtly Confirmed For ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 3’
Over the course of what will now be three films and a holiday special, Marvel fans have learned a lot about the rag-tag group introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). Though Star-Lord (Pratt), Groot (Vin Diesel), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), Drax (Dave Bautista), and Gamora (Zoë Saldaña) all started out as almost the comedy relief of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, from the very beginning, each has had their own emotional baggage to carry, and together, they’ve all helped each other overcome a lot.
The team also grew, adding Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and Nebula (Karen Gillan) to their ranks, strengthening the team and each other in the process. Just now, as the team has come back together and grown together, fans are about to see the end of their story. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) hits theaters in just over a month, and director James Gunn has guaranteed that it will be the last time fans see more than one of these characters.
Gunn has also revealed an interesting tidbit about not only Vol. 3 but the entire franchise as well. On his personal Twitter account, Gunn corrected an article that claimed that Rocket (Cooper) would be the “secret protagonist” of the third installment in the trilogy, but not in the way that many fans might think…
@JamesGunn said:
I said he was the secret protagonist of the Guardians movies, not just Volume 3.
I said he was the secret protagonist of the Guardians movies, not just Volume 3. https://t.co/jtg52vqpS1
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) March 30, 2023
While this may come as a surprise when examining Rocket’s (Cooper) story arc as a whole, it actually makes a lot of sense. What is Rocket’s (Cooper) goal throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe? There are many possibilities, but overall, survival. He’s been on the run or on the attack from day one, trying to survive in a Galaxy which has been nothing if not hostile to him. The Guardians franchise does a great job at portraying that in each film, showing his struggle to reconcile that drive to survive with his feelings for his found family.
Related: James Gunn Defends ‘Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3’s Colossal Runtime
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 comes to theaters on May 5, 2023, and stars Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Zoë Saldaña as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax, Karen Gillen as Nebula, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, Vin Diesel as Groot, Sean Gunn as Kraglin, Chukwudi Iwuji as the High Evolutionary, and Will Poulter as Adam Warlock. The last entry into the Guardians franchise will see the team rally to protect Rocket (Cooper) on their most perilous mission yet.
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