Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Ending Explained (What Happens, What's Next & What It Means) (2024)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the end of the first chapter of James Gunn's team of super A-holes, closing out his found family trilogy, but opening up hope for the future of the MCU. While some of the original Guardians of the Galaxy cast have expressed their intention to retire from their roles, Vol 3's ending introduces a new Guardians team as well as promising a return for Chris Pratt's Star-Lord at least. And in amongst all of the violence, the revenge, and the redemption, there's an awful lot of heart, as you might expect.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's ending sees Rocket Raccoon discover the truth of his existence - that he is indeed a Raccoon - become a savior of his creator's other test subjects, absolving himself of his "crime" of causing the deaths of his friends Layla, Teefs and Floor, and defeat The High Evolutionary with the help of his Guardians friends.

The team return to Knowhere, where the Guardians disband, leaving each of them to realize their fates in the MCU timeline:

It's an incredibly affecting ending because, unexpectedly, none of the titular heroes die. Given the movie was very publically described as the end of the road for the original Guardians team and several actors had clarified that the movie would be their last appearance in the MCU, it was justifiably expected that a few heroes would meet their end. However, Quill returning to Earth, past Gamora finding a new chosen family, Mantis doing something for herself, and Darx and Nebula embracing their potential for good to guide the people of Knowhere is a much more narratively fitting (and emotional) close to whichever characters don't end up returning.

The High Evolutionary’s Defeat

The main villain of Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is the High Evolutionary. Played by Chukwudi Imuji, the High Evolutionary's goal is to reshape the universe in his image, removing imperfections from every species in the galaxy through cruel torture and experimentation. One of his former subjects was Rocket, naturally leading to a confrontation with the Guardians that ends in the High Evolutionary's defeat.

How The High Evolutionary Is Defeated

At the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the Guardians manage to defeat the High Evolutionary. After confronting his forces aboard his spacecraft, the High Evolutionary disappears from the film's final act. He reappears at the climax, cornering Rocket in the holding pens where the High Evolutionary imprisoned the raccoon earlier in his life.

This results in a battle between the Guardians and their foe, with all the members contributing to taking down the villain. Rocket, citing his status as a Guardian, refuses to kill the High Evolutionary, leading to his apparant demise when the ship explodes with the antagonist still on board. However, not all is as it seems and the villain does survive to be imprisoned on Knowhere.

The High Evolutionary’s Creations Live On In Knowhere

One of the main aspects of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's final act centered on the team saving the High Evolutionary's test subjects. From the star children he imprisons and tortures in order to build his superior race to the various species of animals that would become his creations, the Guardians save a lot of lives in the film's climax.

The saving of these innocent lives was possible through Knowhere, the Guardians' home base that is rigged as a giant spacestation. Kraglin flies Knowhere to the Guardians' location, allowing the High Evolutionary's test subjects to live on Knowhere with Nebula and Drax to raise and protect them.

Will The High Evolutionary Return?

While it was initially a little unclear, The High Evolutionary is alive at the end of Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 3, having been rescued from the exploding spaceship by Drax. A deleted scene revealed that the villain ends up imprisoned on Knowhere under the watchful eye of Nebula, who stays on the station as a sort of leader.

The High Evolutionary's MCU future is unclear, but it feels unlikely that he will return, even if the Guardians do. The point of his fall from grace is that being locked up in his Knowhere cage and left on display to the test subjects he tortured is the ultimate indignity. Having sought universal greatness as the new creator, seeing him belittled by his final fate is a lot better than him dying in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3.

What Happens To The Guardians of the Galaxy 3 Members

Undoubtedly, the biggest subject of discourse surrounding Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 prior to its release was the fate of the titular team. From theories that Rocket, Quill, or Drax would die in the film to questions over the handling of the 2014 version of Gamora, many were speculating over the fate of each individual Guardians member. Thankfully, it is safe to say James Gunn managed to provide satisfying endings for each character with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3​​​​​.

Gamora Chooses The Ravagers Over Star-Lord

Concerning Gamora, the film ends with her returning to the Ravagers she now calls her family rather than staying with the Guardians or Quill. Despite many expecting a reconciliation between the two after 2014 Gamora returned in Avengers: Endgame, the film portrays the concept of Peter and Gamora's relationship very maturely. Gamora insists she is a different person as she has not experienced what the old Gamora had, leading Peter to realize he cannot force her to fall in love with him again. Gamora, therefore, returns to the new family she has found in the Ravagers rather than the Guardians.

Drax & Nebula Stay On Knowhere With The Children

Two of the other characters who officially retire from the Guardians are Drax and Nebula. The duo decides to stay on Knowhere at the end of the film, rebuilding it as a society for the rescued subjects of the High Evolutionary.

Nebula's reasoning for this stems from Thanos' abuse of her, with the character insisting on building a better upbringing for the children than the one she was subject to. Drax is similar, choosing to help raise the children after the loss of his daughter before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1, as he was born to be a father rather than a destroyer.

Star-Lord Finally Goes Home

Another apparently retired Guardian by Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's ending is the team's leader, Star-Lord. Throughout the film, Peter is shown to struggle with the loss of Gamora, as well as the other loved ones who have died during his life, such as his mother and Yondu. At one point in the story, Peter is reminded that he abandoned his grandfather on Earth, which explains his decision to return home at the end of the film. As a result, Quill reunites with his grandfather after over 30 years and lives with him on Earth for the foreseeable future.

Mantis Goes Off To Find Herself (With Her New Pets)

Despite the recent discovery that Mantis is Star-Lord's half-sister, her story does not continue with her brother. Mantis instead ends Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 striding out on her own, with her three Abilisk companions in tow. Having lived most of her life as a servant of Ego before she became a Guardian, Mantis has not written her own story yet, and her solo adventures will give her an opportunity to discover precisely who she is and who she wants to be.

The New Guardians of the Galaxy Is Formed, Led By Rocket

After Quill announces his retirement from the Guardians, he names Rocket the team's new leader. The first post-credit scene of the film outlines the new Guardians of the Galaxy team. Beside Rocket is Groot, with the two naturally continuing their unbreakable bond established in the first film. Kraglin and Cosmo also join the team after being instrumental in the High Evolutionary's defeat during Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Of course, Groot's new look is sure to turn heads. While it's been clear that the Groot present since the original sacrificed himself in Guardians of the Galaxy is his offspring, not the same being, this post-credits clip gives the only look so far at what this Goot looks like grown up. He's far, far bigger than his father, likely accompanied by more strength. Given the likelihood of Groot appearing again in the MCU, it's exciting to consider what other uses of his unique plant biology he may discover.

The ending of Guardians of the Galaxy 3 also shows two other new Guardians members: Adam Warlock and Phyla-Vell. The former appeared in the film as an antagonist before the death of his mother and the Guardians' mercy caused him to have a change of heart. As a result, Warlock joins the new Guardians of the Galaxy under Rocket's leadership.

Phyla-Vell was one of the children rescued from the High Evolutionary and is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Phyla-Vell has been a part of the Guardians in the comics, potentially hinting at a big MCU future for the character. At this point, it's unclear what exactly her powers will be in the MCU. Interestingly, a GotG Vol. 3 behind-the-scenes video explains that Phylla and the rest of the Star Children are incredibly evolved and altered non-human animals. It's unlikely this will affect her power set, which in the comics includes common generic abilities like increased strength, flight, and energy blasts.

The Legendary Star-Lord Will Return (But Where & When?!)

Despite returning home to Earth and seemingly retiring from superhero life, Quill's future in the MCU is teased in the Guardians of the Galaxy 3 post-credits scene. In the scene, Quill is shown having a quiet breakfast with his grandfather before the screen fades to white. After this, Marvel Studios' now-iconic stinger shows up stating "The Legendary Star-Lord will return." This officially confirms that Chris Pratt will return to the MCU in Phase 5 and beyond, though exactly how his character will be used remains a mystery. Right now, there are two most likely scenarios:

• Chris Pratt could return in his own movie or TV series set on Earth, exploring his post-Guardians life
• Star-Lord could become an Avenger for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars

In the time since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was released, no new concrete information has been revealed about what's next for Star-Lord, but a new Disney-imposed limit on MCU content (2-3 movies and 2 TV shows per year max) raised questions over which characters and projects may get cut. However, in May 2024, Pratt gave a positive MCU update, seemingly confirming that he very much still plans to play Peter Quill again.

While an appearance in a solo movie or Avengers project makes sense, there's also the possibility that Quill could show up in the MCU's Nova project, which recently got a positive update from Marvel Studios leadership. Marvel has shifted to a strategy of developing more shows than they release, but particular excitement for Nova's potential seems to be a good sign. Nova, a powerful member of the Nova Corps in Marvel Comics, could feature different Guardians given the two groups' ties and run-ins in the MCU so far.

What Guardians of the Galaxy 3's Ending Means For MCU Phase 5 & Secret Wars

The tease of both Star-Lord's return and the formation of a new Guardians team at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 could have big implications for the MCU's future. In terms of future stories, the ending of the film means that there is still a Guardians team at work in the MCU, meaning they are there to be called for help if needed. This could mean potentially big things for either Avengers: The Kang Dynasty or Avengers: Secret Wars. With both films set to be huge in scale like Infinity War and Endgame before them, it is likely the new Guardians could show up to help.

One of the upcoming projects of Phase 5 is The Marvels, a cosmic adventure centered on Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and Monica Rambeau. With Phyla-Vell being a part of the new Guardians team, a character intrinsically tied to Captain Marvel in the comics, the new cosmic Guardians could make an appearance in that film. Also, Mantis ends Guardians of the Galaxy 3 by leaving to explore the galaxy, which could potentially mean a future appearance for her in another project in Phase 5 or 6.

Similarly, the tease of Star-Lord's future could lead to him becoming a member of the Avengers. The Avengers are based on Earth, where Star-Lord is now seemingly living full-time. With Marvel Studios teasing his continued MCU adventures, it would not be out of the realm of possibility to become an Earth-based hero alongside the other Avengers. Regardless, it is clear that both of these implications will have a payoff in Phase 6 and beyond, from potential Avengers appearances for Star-Lord and the new Guardians or a Guardians of the Galaxy 4 film centered on the new roster.

What Guardians of the Galaxy 3’s Ending Really Means

In terms of what the ending to Guardians of the Galaxy 3 really means, the film brings a perfect sense of closure. In spite of the threads left open for future appearances, this iteration of the Guardians is truly over.

The film perfectly encapsulates each character arc, from Drax and Nebula's raising of the children to Gamora's search for a family and Star-Lord's reconciliation with his relatives, the film's ending truly means the end for the Guardians that have been around since 2014. This is typified perfectly by Rocket's arc, which emotionally grounds the entire film and makes Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 one of the MCU's best efforts since Avengers: Endgame.

Ultimately, James Gunn positioning Rocket as the heart of the Guardians trilogy was a very deliberate and very successful move. As Gunn himself said, Rocket may have been angry, sarcastic and prone to violence, but he was the most tragic creature. In each of his Guardians team-mates, he found similarly wounded characters, all torn out of their lives by twists of fate:

• Gamora was taken by Thanos as a child and watched her people half-wiped out of existence
• Nebula was tortured as a perverse plaything by Thanos
• Star-Lord was taken from his family as his mother died
• Drax witnessed the execution of his wife and daughter and turned to rage
• Groot was a circus act (as revealed in a planned short prequel that James Gunn never made)
• Mantis was basically bred to be Ego's night nurse

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3's ending gave each of them a sense of peace and closure. Each evolved beyond the things that was holding them back, to become leaders, loners, fathers, and free. While the Guardians team as it was is no more, every one of the characters was able to find their true family thanks to their shared adventures. Even Groot's "I love you guys" message held a hidden meaning of family: as the audience, we could finally understand him because we are now all Guardians - all part of the family. And we're not ready for it to be over.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

PG-13

Where to Watch

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Director

James Gunn

Release Date

May 5, 2023

Writers

James Gunn

Cast

Chris Pratt , Dave Bautista , Karen Gillan , Zoe Saldana , Bradley Cooper , Pom Klementieff , Vin Diesel , Elizabeth Debicki

Runtime

116 Minutes