For the most part, the Marvel Cinematic Universe moves in real time, but every now and again, the studio has to play fast and loose with that to make these films work. For instance, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 takes place just months after its predecessor and Kevin Feige has now confirmed that there will be a fairly significant gap between the events of James Gunn’s upcoming sequel and Avengers: Infinity War.
Surprisingly, a total of four years will have passed, and that means that the Guardians who show up in Joe and Anthony Russo’s blockbuster will be very, very different. Or as Kevin Feige puts it, they’ll be “evolved.”
“They will have evolved slightly, in some recognizable ways. But really they’ll be the Guardians and dealing with the shit storm they have to deal with.”
New costumes are obviously a given, but in the case of Groot, it’s pretty obvious that he’ll be back to his fully grown self by the time the gang arrives to help Earth’s Mightiest Heroes battle Thanos. They’ll have likely evolved as a team too, and it’s even possible that we’ll see some new members in the cosmic group.
Time will tell on that front, but this obviously has ramifications for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as well. A lot can happen in four years, so who knows how the relationships between the characters will have changed and what sort of adventures they’ll have embarked on as they make a name for themselves. If one thing’s for certain though, it’s that seeing Star-Lord and co. team up with the likes of Iron Man, Cap, Thor, etc., in Avengers: Infinity War promises to be a ton of fun for fans.