Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy recently launched to positive reviews, with many praising its story and treatment of characters. Indeed, in our Guardians of the Galaxy review, we wrote that it “delivers tenfold” on player investment thanks to its narrative and choices. It doesn’t really end there, though, because many more storylines were teased.
Whether saved for a potential Marvel’s Avengers crossover, a potential sequel, or—in the most likely scenario—DLC, there were quite a few things that went unanswered intentionally. However, there was one big tease that is perfect for any Guardians of the Galaxy DLC. Developer Eidos previously stated that the game wouldn’t receive any DLC, which could still certainly be the case, but many would likely welcome an extension of GOTG’s story.
After all, the aforementioned tease just screams DLC, and it would be interesting to see what Eidos Montreal did with this story hook. PLEASE NOTE: There are MAJOR SPOILERS ahead for Guardians of the Galaxy.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Aftermath of the Galactic War
The GOTG team formed after the Galactic War, which impacted all of the characters to some degree. Star-Lord was a Chitauri prisoner-turned-ravager, Gamora was Thanos’ Assassin (who does the unimaginable in her eyes), and Drax the Destroyer is so-called for he defeated Thanos and helped bring the Galactic War to an end. For Drax, who lost his beautiful daughter and wife due to Thanos—something eloquently and heartbreaking explored in the game—it was like he could feel Thanos’ life force after the fact.
This allowed him to pursue Thanos and engage him in a massive fight, with Drax being strengthened by his rage. The fight seemingly ends, according to the story, with both of them losing consciousness, and Drax is declared “The Destroyer," something he clearly doesn't enjoy later on. There’s just one problem: Drax still feels Thanos’ life force and is convinced he’s alive out there, somewhere in the Galaxy at large.
Guardians of the Galaxy vs. Thanos
One could potentially make the argument that Thanos is overplayed: the GOTG face him already in the TellTale game and Thanos left a huge mark on the MCU. But there’s no denying he’s a cool and powerful villain, and he’s a threat to the galaxy if he’s still alive. It feels as if Guardians of the Galaxy basically says “hey guys, Thanos is alive, and you’re going to have to fight him eventually” with how it discusses the Mad Titan.
The Galactic War had many sides but the main opposition was Thanos and his Chitauri against the Kree and their allies. Yet, the exact why of this war is never fully explained: what is Thanos after in this version of the story? As a DLC villain with no need for explanation, perhaps players could see his attempt to court Death, a famous storyline in the comics, but one many wished was in the MCU but wasn’t. Perhaps this DLC could further unite GOTG’s story by exploring more immediate effects of the Galactic War. Perhaps, as DLC, players could see a darker reflection of their team in The Black Order, ultimately overcoming them and Thanos.
At the end of the day, mentioning Thanos potentially being alive in Guardians of the Galaxy is the perfect Chekhov's gun. The question is when it’ll fire, and while DLC would seem the most likely, a sequel or potential future Marvel’s Avengers crossover isn’t out of the question. Thanos, in this context even, seems inevitable.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.