If there’s one thing that James Gunn makes clear with his Guardians of the Galaxy movies, it’s that no one is safe. Guardians of the Galaxy saw the death of Groot, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 saw the death of Yondu, and now, with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, anyone could be next off the chopping block. The beloved Marvel Studios franchise is sure to be an eventful ride filled with laughs and emotion.
James Gunn has already stated that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be his goodbye to the series he helped propel into superstardom, and considering he’ll have his hands busy with DC Studios, it’s safe to say that the Guardians of the Galaxy could be in a galaxy worth of danger for their latest adventure. The question remains, who will die in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?
10 Gamora
If there is any character that does not deserve to die again, it’s Gamora. Gamora was killed by her father, Thanos, in The Avengers: Infinity War. Thanos used her as a sacrifice to get the Soul Stone, and the Gamora that Peter Quill knew and loved was gone. That was until a whole bunch of time travel hijinks brought forth the pre-Guardians of the Galaxy Gamora, the one still invested in her father’s schemes.
Now that years have passed, and Gamora is freed from her father’s tyranny, perhaps Gamora will find love for Peter Quill, considering she has no memory of him as she is her past self before meeting him. Hopefully, Gamora does not die, again.
9 Adam Warlock
It would be pretty surprising if Adam Warlock was to die in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. He’s the newest member of the cast, and the character has a long history in the comics. Adam Warlock remains one of the more popular cosmic characters in Marvel Comics, and the fact that he missed out on the Infinity Saga that he was known for leaves much to be desired about the MCU debut of his character.
It wouldn’t feel right to kill off a character like Adam Warlock straight off the bat. Perhaps there’s a long life for Adam Warlock in the next phases of the MCU. After all, Adam Warlock is a famed Guardian of the Galaxy in the comics, so perhaps he leads a new team in the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ending.
8 Mantis
A true tragedy to the MCU would be if Mantis was killed in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Mantis is one of the brightest stars of the MCU, and her scenes are filled with constant joy. Mantis was introduced to audiences with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and quickly became a fan favorite Guardian. Her powers leave much to be desired on screen, and it’s always a treat when she gets the spotlight.
Mantis recently helmed the anticipated Disney Plus Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, in which both she and Drax showed audiences their great chemistry and the ability to shine past their co-stars. It’s doubtful that Mantis will die, especially when she hasn’t reached her fullest potential just yet.
7 Groot
What bad luck, Groot would have to die again. The original Groot died in Guardians of the Galaxy, which was arguably the saddest scene in the film. Throughout his appearances in the MCU since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, audiences have been joyously adoring Baby Groot. This little bundle of cuteness even got his spotlight with Disney Plus’ I Am Groot.
To see Groot grow from a baby into the adult that he is in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 would be extremely bleak and emotional. However, audiences wouldn’t put it past James Gunn, who is certainly a master at his craft of making audiences both laugh and cry.
6 Nebula
Nebula has gone through quite the journey as a character. She started in the MCU as the jealous sister of Gamora, desperate for her father’s approval. Audiences later learned that Nebula was the result of torturous experiments to make her “better” for Thanos’ army. However, she soon became her person and became a Guardian of the Galaxy.
Although Nebula’s sense of humor needs some work, she has come such a long way from her first appearance, and it shows. Nebula is a great addition to the MCU, but considering how drastic her character arc is, it wouldn’t be shocking if she sacrifices herself for the ones she now loves and considers family.
5 Peter Quill, Star-Lord
Peter Quill has come a long way since his abduction from Earth into Yondu’s Ravager Clan. He’s since found out that he’s a Celestial-Human hybrid, he’s found love and people he cares about, and experienced great loss. It’s a pretty good arc from a character who gave himself the alias Star-Lord, just to be unknown throughout the galaxy.
Considering this is James Gunn’s last entry into the Guardians of the Galaxy, it could very well be Chris Pratt’s too. Pratt has played Star-Lord for almost a decade across 6 MCU films and shows. Even the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 trailer showed Peter Quill in dangerous circumstances.
4 Kraglin
If anyone is going to kill Kraglin, it would have to be because the brother of Kraglin’s actor is the writer/director James Gunn. Kraglin is a great addition to the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise and deserves Yondu’s fin to honor his captain and hone his abilities and mastery of his whistling arrow.
Kraglin has fought alongside Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy throughout the years, and he has a true knowledge of the cosmic universe out there, as well as an incredible loyalty to his team. Kraglin’s death could spur the Guardians of the Galaxy’s latest mission, or James Gunn could use it to prank his brother, Sean Gunn.
3 Drax The Destroyer
As the self-proclaimed master of invisibility and ever-so-deadly, Drax the Destroyer is quite a hard man to kill. He seems pretty invulnerable throughout his appearances in the MCU and is almost as indestructible as he is lacking in social skills and an understanding of metaphors.
Scenes with Drax never fail to make audiences laugh, which is why Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 could be the perfect opportunity to punch them in the stomach with a gut-wrenching scene. It also doesn’t help Drax’s survivability factor when one considers that the actor, Dave Bautista, has said multiple times that he’s ready to say goodbye to Drax and the MCU, with Guardians of the Galaxy 3 being his last entry.
2 Rocket Raccoon
The Guardians of the Galaxy 3 trailer puts a heavy and concerning emphasis on Rocket Raccoon. Although the character has had plenty of screentime across the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy movies, Rocket Raccoon’s focus in the trailer seems rather morbid, and as if audiences are being prepared for his inevitable death.
The trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 makes it seem as if audiences will learn the origin story of Rocket Raccoon, and the adventure will take the crew to discover where Rocket came from and who his first love was. It seems pretty certain, for the most part, that Rocket Raccoon will die in Guardians of the Galaxy 3, or so the trailers lead audiences to believe.
1 The High Evolutionary
It’s elementary at this point to kill the villain in the blockbuster comic book movie. The Guardians of the Galaxy do not exactly have a “no-kill” rule, and if they’re facing up against the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s version of the High Evolutionary, it’s safe to say that this character is not making it past this movie.
Although it remains to be seen as the true fate of the High Evolutionary, being cast as the villain is an open invitation to getting killed on-screen. If the High Evolutionary is involved in disturbing experiments of the Guardians of the Galaxy, they’ll probably want him dead.
Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 will arrive in theatres 5th of May, 2023.