Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (stylized as Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3) is a 2023 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team Guardians of the Galaxy, produced by Marvel Studios, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is intended to be the sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), and the 32nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film is written and directed by James Gunn and stars an ensemble cast featuring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Will Poulter, Elizabeth Debicki, Maria Bakalova, and Sylvester Stallone. In the film, the Guardians embark on a mission to protect Rocket (Cooper).
Plot[]
As a baby raccoon, Rocket was abducted and experimented on as a test subject by the High Evolutionary, a scientist who sought to enhance all animal lifeforms into an anthropomorphic species in order to create a Counter-Earth.
Rocket becomes friends with an otter named Lylla as well as Teefs, a walrus, and Floor, a rabbit; the three of whom are the High Evolutionary's other test subjects. He soon displays intelligence and aptitude beyond the other animals and deduces the flaw in the anthropomorphization process, angering the High Evolutionary. The four later learn that they will not be part of the new Earth after the High Evolutionary perfects the formula to anthropomorphize. When the High Evolutionary suspects an escape attempt, he kills Lylla, Teefs and Floor. This enrages Rocket, who mauls the High Evolutionary, disfiguring him as he escapes.
Years later, the Guardians of the Galaxy have established their headquarters on a rebuilt Knowhere. The night after settling in, they are attacked by Adam Warlock, a superpowered being created out of revenge by his "mother" and the empress of the Sovereign, Ayesha, for previously stealing from her people. They are ordered to bring Rocket to the High Evolutionary, who has become obsessed with retrieving him for the purpose of isolating and replicating Rocket's intellect. During the fight, Adam is defeated by Nebula but Rocket is seriously injured, leaving the Guardians unable to tend to his wounds due to a killswitch embedded in him.
The team resolves to travel to the Orgoscope, headquarters of the High Evolutionary's company Orgocorp, in hopes of finding an override code. With the assistance of the Ravagers and a reluctant Gamora, the Guardians infiltrate Orgosphere and retrieve Rocket's file. However, they are attacked by Orgosphere's guards, barely escaping after Peter Quill remotely activates the guards' suit jetpacks. When Rocket's file is discovered to have the override code removed a week prior, the group speculates that Theel, one of the High Evolutionary's advisors, may have been the one who downloaded it. They reason that this may be an intentionally set trap, but with Rocket's life in jeopardy, they set out anyways.
The team arrives on Counter-Earth against Gamora's wishes, followed by Ayesha and Adam. With help from a family of bat-like humanoids, Quill, Nebula and Groot trace Theel to the High Evolutionary's ship, while Drax and Mantis remain with Gamora and Rocket. Quill and Groot board the High Evolutionary's ship, leaving Nebula behind. Mantis unwillingly accompanies Drax to the High Evolutionary's ship, which begins to launch with Quill and Groot captured onboard. The High Evolutionary begins a process that destroys Counter-Earth by blowing the planet with ground explosions.
Gamora stays with Rocket, but is attacked by a pig warrior sent by the High Evolutionary, who, herself, is killed when Adam arrives looking for Rocket. Gamora flees the ship, while Adam tries to reach his mother before the explosions kill her. Gamora returns to the ship almost immediately, notices Adam no longer there, and tries to pilot it to where Quill and Groot are. Quill and Groot grabs Theel, jump from the High Evolutionary's ship, and successfully retrieves his memory bank. Nebula, Mantis, and Drax, who have now met up, decide to board the ship, in order to rescue a now absent Quill and Groot.
Adam was unable to reach his mother in time, and returns to the Guardian's ship, where he passes out. Gamora is able to get to Quill and Groot, and they use the memory bank to attempt to save Rocket. Rocket flatlines and has a near death experience, where he is met by Lylla, Teefs and Floor. They tell him that his time has not yet come just before the override code was able to disable the kill switch. Quill and Gamora throws a medpack onto Rocket, and he is able to sit up and speak with the rest of the Guardians again.
Mantis, Nebula, and Drax come across hundreds of imprisoned children on the High Evolutionary's ship before being captured themselves, and placed in a chamber with Abilisks. Mantis is able to persuade the Abilisks to side with them, and the three escape the chamber before reuniting with the Guardians and overpowering the High Evolutionary's army. Kraglin and Cosmo arrive with Knowhere. Cosmo creates a telekinetic tunnel connecting it to the High Evolutionary's ship, allowing them to free the captured children. Rocket discovers a litter of baby raccoons, the same one he came from, and other Earth animals, but is attacked by a deranged High Evolutionary. The rest of the Guardians arrive and manage to subdue The High Evolutionary, and he was left to perish on his own ship, while the animals were rescued and taken aboard Knowhere along with most of the Guardians. Quill was the last one to leave the ship, and was unable to make the final jump. He began to freeze in space, until Adam, with a change of heart, came in and rescued him.
In the aftermath of the battle, the Guardians decide to disband, with Quill bestowing the rank of Captain to Rocket before leaving for Earth. Mantis embarks on a journey of self-discovery with the Abilisks, Gamora reunites with the Ravagers, while Nebula and Drax remain on Knowhere to raise the rescued children.
In a mid-credits scene, the new Guardians, consisting of Rocket, a fully-grown Groot, Cosmo, Kraglin, Adam, Phyla, and Blurp, are shown undergoing a new mission. In a post-credits scene, Quill reconnects with his grandfather.
Cast[]
- Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord
- Zoe Saldaña as Gamora
- Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer
- Karen Gillan as Nebula
- Pom Klementieff as Mantis
- Vin Diesel as Groot (voice)
- Austin Freeman as On-Set Groot
- Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon (voice)
- Sean Gunn as Kraglin Obfonteri / Rocket Raccoon (motion capture)
- Noah Raskin as Baby Rocket Raccoon (voice)
- Chukwudi Iwuji as High Evolutionary
- Will Poulter as Adam Warlock
- Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha
- Maria Bakalova as Cosmo the Spacedog (voice & motion capture)
- Slate as Cosmo the Spacedog (on-set movement & behavior)
- Sylvester Stallone as Stakar Ogord
- Michael Rosenbaum as Martinex
- Daniela Melchior as Ura
- Dee Bradley Baker as Blurp (voice)
- Stephen Blackehart as Steemie Blueliver
- Sarah Alami as Ssssaralami
- Terence Rosemore as Xlomo Smeth
- Troy Beecham as Drunk Knowherian
- Linda Cardellini as Lylla
- Asim Chaudhry as Teefs
- Mikaela Hoover as Floor
- Nathan Fillion as Master Karja
- Miriam Shor as Vim
- Nico Santos as Theel
- Kai Zen as Phyla
- Tara Strong as Mainframe (voice)
- Judy Greer as War Pig
- Reinaldo Faberlle as Behemoth
- Jennifer Holland as Administrator Kwol
- Michael Rooker as Yondu Udonta
- Seth Green as Howard the Duck
- Lloyd Kaufman as Gridlemop
- Gregg Henry as Jason Quill
- Christopher Fairbank as Broker
- James Gunn as Lambshank (voice)
- Rhett Miller as Bzermikitokolok
- Jared Gore as Krugarr
- Molly Quinn as Molly
- Pete Davidson as Phlektik
- Jasmine Sunshine Munoz as Hoobtoe
- Gerardo Davila as Fitz-Gibbonok
- Benjamin Byron Davis as Bretelsnort
- Jonathan Fritschi as Carrot Head
- Darla Delgado as Neelie
- Randy Havens as Till
- Sarah Anne as Latti
- Murphy Weed as Murf
- Natalia Safran as Controller
- Tiffany Smith as Friniki
- Karen Abercrombie as Grandma Quill
- Giovannie Cruz as Orloni Peddler
Future[]
Gunn said in April 2017 that a fourth Guardians film could happen, though it would likely center on a new group of characters since Gunn planned to conclude the story of the team of the previous films in Vol. 3. Later in September, Gunn felt that he was unlikely to return for another Guardians film, but noted he would continue to work with Marvel Studios on other projects that use the Guardians and cosmic characters. One such project from Gunn was a film centered on Drax and Mantis, which Bautista called "brilliant". However, in May 2021, Bautista stated that he had not heard any further updates regarding it, feeling Marvel Studios was not "very interested, or it doesn't fit into the way they have things mapped out". Gunn confirmed in September 2019 that he intended for Vol. 3 to be his last Guardians film, which he reaffirmed in May 2021. In July 2021, Gillan expressed her desire to continue playing Nebula after Vol. 3. In April 2023, Saldaña confirmed that Vol. 3 would be the last time she portrays Gamora, but hoped Marvel could recast the role within "the next generation of actors able to incarnate those characters" because she wishes for the character to stay. The following month, Pratt indicated his willingness to continue to play Peter Quill in the future if the right script came along; the post-credits of Vol. 3 revealed that the "Legendary Star-Lord" would return at some point in the future.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- This is the thirty second film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
- This is the third and final film in the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy.
- This is the live action debut of the High Evolutionary.
- The third trilogy in the MCU to have the same director for all three films following the Spider-Man trilogy directed by Jon Watts and the Ant-Man trilogy directed by Peyton Reed.
| Guardians of the Galaxy |
|---|
| Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) |
| Phase Four |
|---|
| Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), The Marvels (2023), Captain America: New World Order (2024), Thunderbolts (2024), Blade (2024) |