Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe blasts off next Friday with the release of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Less than three months later, another threequel will arrive in the form of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. It will mark the end of James Gunn’s trilogy and the Guardians of the Galaxy as we know them. There’s still a lot we don’t know about Guardians Vol. 3, but a new synopsis from Disney confirms that Rocket Raccoon’s life will be at stake.
On Monday, The Direct shared an updated plot synopsis for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. It is similar to what currently exists on Disney’s website, but with a bit of added detail. Most notably, it eliminates any doubt that the story will revolve around Rocket:
In Marvel Studios’ ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ our beloved band of misfits are settling into life on Knowhere. But it isn’t long before their lives are upended by the echoes of Rocket’s turbulent past. Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him on a dangerous mission to save Rocket’s life—a mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.
Much like in Ant-Man 3, the personal stakes in Guardians Vol. 3 are as high as they’ve ever been. Gunn has said this entry will be “more mature” and “much more emotional” than its predecessors. He also confirmed that there would be at least one major death.
We don’t know which of the Guardians will die, but the central cast has been part of the MCU for going on nine years now. Dave Bautista, who plays Drax, said in a recent interview that as much as he loves the character, he’s relieved that the journey is over. Whether or not Drax dies in the sequel, it doesn’t sound like Bautista plans to return to the role any time soon.
Meanwhile, Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, and Karen Gillen have all stuck around longer than Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr, and Scarlett Johansson. It wouldn’t be all that surprising if Guardians Vol. 3 was the last time we saw several of them.
We’ll find out when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters on May 5, 2023.
