Word has it that one of the team will die in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. As we know that this will be the final film to feature the whole gang together and will conclude the trilogy in an emotional way, it doesn’t seem like too much of a leap to assume that one of them will meet their end and unfortunately, writer/director James Gunn isn’t laying our fears to rest.
A fan quizzed the filmmaker recently on the chances of tragedy striking in the threequel with the simple question: “Someone will die in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3???” Gunn then replied in a light-hearted way but one that hinted death is coming. “I can’t remember ANY comic book film where anyone didn’t die!” he said in response.
Ok, he’s got us there. There’s often a significant supporting character bumped off to further the hero’s journey or else the villain dies at the end. Gunn, however, definitely likes to use deaths in his superhero movies to both raise the stakes and give the story an emotional boost. Think back to Groot’s sacrifice in Vol. 1 and Yondu’s death in Vol. 2. This pattern heavily suggests he’s going to pull the same trick in Vol. 3. And we think we know who’ll be in the firing line.
Gunn has stated before that he most looks forward to concluding Rocket’s arc in Guardians 3, with reports also pointing to the story involving the raccoon encountering his creator, the High Evolutionary (maybe Mark Hamill, maybe not). If Rocket is really at the heart of the narrative, we wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t make it out alive.
In any case, it’ll be a while before we find out for sure what he’s teasing here, as Gunn is currently shooting The Suicide Squad but is set to move on to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3. – the script for which is already completed – following the editing process on his DC debut. Expect it in cinemas in 2022 at the earliest.