Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 was one of the most anticipated movies from the MCU in 2023. Now that it has been released to great critical and commercial acclaim, it has proven to be a great conclusion to a great trilogy. As it marks the end of an era for the Guardians of the Galaxy, there might be questions about the ending of the film and what the future looks like for the characters. The film ends with the promise of the return of some of its favourite characters.
With the conclusion of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, it remains to be seen what Marvel has in store for the future of the franchise. The studio has previously indicated that they are interested in exploring different corners of the Marvel Universe, especially the Multiverse as more films and TV shows from the MCU explore this. The hope is that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 sets a foundation for an exciting future of cosmic adventures in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Dog Days Are Really Over for the Guardians of the Galaxy
In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, we meet Ego, who is the biological father of Peter Quill, but it turns out that Ego is a terrible father who has villainous plans that will destroy many worlds. This cause Quill and the rest of the team to fight and kill him, which results in Quill losing his powers. In the sequel In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, the same battle between father and child ensues, but this time it is between Rocket and his maker The High Evolutionary. The latter wants the brains of the former because he believes that his intelligence can be harnessed which would in turn further his plans for creating a version of Earth that is perfect and devoid of all that makes it a terrible place.
However, at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, when the High Evolutionary is defeated Rocket starts to play a song from the 2000s folder on the Zune and it is Florence + The Machine’s “Dog Days Are Over”. This is poignant because, for most of the trilogy, the group had to deal with varying degrees of danger, some of which resulted in deaths that hurt the entire group. Dog days being over suggests that a period of struggle or hardship has ended, and that better times are ahead, as we see from the end of the film and its post-credits.
Everybody is Growing Up
One of the main themes in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 is personal growth and maturation. By the end of the film, we see the characters undergo significant personal growth and development over the course of their adventures. All the characters have reached a point where they take on more personal responsibility. While the trilogy might be over, it is clear that their stories have not ended.
By the time the film ends, Mantis chooses to go her way to learn about the world especially as most of her world had been limited to Ego’s planet and Knowhere, fighting with the Guardians. Quill accepts that the Gamora he loved and who loved him is no more and he decides to go back to his only living family member, his grandfather on earth. Gamora remains with the Ravagers who she now lives and works with, her exit is punctuated by a painful goodbye that she shares with Quill. Nebula and Drax become parents to the children rescued from the High Evolutionary while Rocket gets the closure he needed from his dead friends and becomes the leader of the new Guardians.
The Team May be have dispersed but Things are not Over
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 ends with the entire team deciding to go their own way. Choosing to forge paths for themselves, and decide to spend time outside of being Guardians but it is clear that things are not over for some of these characters. From the post-credit scenes, it is obvious that there is more in the future of the characters, including the new ones who have now joined the Guardians.
This film marks the end of a trilogy that appealed to fans of the MCU and is a good case for how the MCU does a great job of showing viewers that action does not have to be sacrificed on the altar of high emotional stakes. The trilogy might have come to an end, but from all indications, there is more to be expected from the characters and the future of the MCU features some of them.
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