The Guardians of the Galaxy are back for their next adventure, and it may well be their most challenging one yet.
Volume 3 marks writer-director James Gunn's final project in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) before he goes full time as co-CEO and co-chairperson of DC Studios alongside Peter Safran, but there is plenty left in store for fans to enjoy.
The first teaser trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was released on Thursday, December 1, and it featured several Easter eggs (a message, image or feature hidden in a video game, film, or other electronic medium) that fans should take note of.
Who Is Adam Warlock?
One big character who will make their debut in the Marvel film is Adam Warlock, played by 29-year-old English actor Will Poulter.
The character was created in 1967 and was originally named Him before he was rechristened as Adam Warlock in 1972, a name the High Evolutionary (more on him later) gave him in the original comics.
The character is seen as the next evolution of humanity, and in the Marvel comics, he is also the arch-enemy of Thanos: remember him? With this in mind, Adam Warlock will likely play an important role in the Marvel film but also the MCU going forward.
Given he is shown fighting Nebula (Karen Gillan) in the trailer, it's unclear whether he'll be a friend or foe of the Guardians.
Who Is High Evolutionary and How Will He Pose a Threat?
The High Evolutionary is being portrayed by Chukwudi Iwuji in the Marvel film. Fans may recognize him from his role in the TV show Peacemaker, also directed by Gunn.
Iwuji's character made his Marvel Comics debut in 1966, and he is the creator and ruler of Counter-Earth. This is the location that the Guardians visit at the start of the trailer, with the human-animal hybrids.
While he does not speak in the trailer, the High Evolutionary will likely feature heavily in the film for his obsession with evolving animals into human hybrids.
Rocket Racoon Revisits His Past
This brings us to Rocket Racoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper). The creature was not created by the High Evolutionary in the Marvel comics, but it seems appropriate that the two are being brought together in the movie.
The trailer also teases that Rocket will revisit his past, as there is a brief clip showing him being taken by someone, a scientist perhaps, when he was younger.
Rocket also tells Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) that he has decided to stop running from his past, so perhaps there is more to the High Evolutionary than meets the eye.
Gamora Is Back
Gamora (Zoe Saldana) has been away from our screens since Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. In those films, the original Gamora died, and the version that is shown in the trailer is her younger self, who has never met the Guardians before.
The trailer shows Gamora at various points of the movie, and while she doesn't know the Guardians as well as her predecessor did, it's clear that she encounters them in some way because she's seen helping an injured Drax (Dave Bautista).
Gamora also walks behind the Guardians while they leave their ship to face an unknown enemy, so perhaps they will team up for good.
Rocket Has a Girlfriend
In a brief clip from the trailer, Rocket is seen with a fellow genetically modified animal. This is his canon love interest Lylla Otter.
The pair give each other a hug, so it seems clear that there is some romantic interest there, but how it will develop is yet to be seen.
Will the Guardians of the Galaxy Survive?
Given this is the final film in the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, it is unclear how many of the heroes will make it to the end.
The trailer teases that there may possibly be some deaths, as Rocket is seen injured when he says they'll "all fly away together one last time, into the forever and the beautiful sky."
The tagline of it being "time to face the music" also suggests that there will be some danger ahead for the Guardians. In May 2021, Bautista told Digital Spy that the third film will "probably going to be the end of Drax," so the film may mean the end of the road for some, if not all, of the Guardians.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be released on May 5, 2023.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Roxy Simons is a Newsweek TV and Film Reporter (SEO), based in London, U.K. Her focus is reporting on the ... Read more
