With a slew of Phase 5 and 6 announcements at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con and the accompanying astonishing announcements about never before seen superheroes, new directors, and entirely fresh worlds plotted out for almost the next decade, Marvel fans everywhere are literally marveling at how far the MCU has come, and where it might be going. The anticipated lineup of new MCU content is almost overwhelming, especially for those who have been along for the ride since as far back as the shock and awe of the first Iron Man film.

At this point, it’s tough to remember we are even talking about the same franchise at times. Marvel went from casting unknowns as cape-wearing comic book characters in a live-action feud of Shakespearian proportions in 2011’s first Thor film to a film that heavily revolved around the Goat Boat in Thor: Love and Thunder eleven years later.

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2023 is set to be a big year for Marvel Phase 5, which will see the widely yearned for Loki season 2 on Disney+, as well as fellow streaming series Ironheart, Secret Invasion, and probably Agatha: Coven of Chaos. In theaters along with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will be The Marvels and Blade, starring Mahershala Ali. But amongst all this newness is the bittersweet final film in a more familiar string of movies, with well-established and already beloved characters.

The Guardians of the Galaxy corner of the MCU was once the freshest, strangest thing to come out of the MCU and upper mainstream Hollywood. Now it seems the coming final installment, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, will warm our hearts with its familiarity.

Saying Goodbye to Simpler Days

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Marvel seldom invokes the term “emotional” without also meaning “nostalgic.” So much has happened, not only in the MCU but in the real world in which the audience, cast, and crew live, since Captain (Chris Evans) first taught stuff in 2014. The story of a young boy all grown up, far from home, and immersed in an unconscionable gaggle of odd space characters, with no shortage of memorable quips and hilarious nuances, captivated almost everybody that watched it.

Since those simple days of the hero Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), cruising around the galaxy with his buddies Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), and Groot (Vin Diesel), the team has been imprisoned, dusted, and targeted by the most dangerous villain in the history of the universe. They have also been instrumental in the biggest operation in MCU history to restore half of creation to life. Now, after many ups and downs and unknowns, divided lovers Quill and Gamora, angsty teenage Groot, and newcomers Nebula (Karen Gillan) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) must pull the band back together for one last ride in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and face down an unknown conclusion to their uproarious exploits.

While Vol. 3 claims to be a completely new kind of Guardians movie, we know we can expect the same cast lineup under the direction of the franchise’s original director. According to James Gunn, the film is not just bigger in scale but more emotional, and the rough trailer shown at Comic-Con is said to have left some viewers in tears. We can indeed expect a sentimental and heartrending send-off for our beloved guardians, no doubt set to an impeccably sob-worthy soundtrack. Karen Gillian told The Hollywood Reporter:

It sounds like Vol. 3 will be a real doozy for those of us with a soft spot for the MCU, character drama, goodbyes, and, well, life in general.

Will the Guardians Ride Off Into the Sunset?

While Endgame was pretty emotional, to say the least, it wasn’t necessarily screaming closure at us. Hopefully, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 perfectly balances tragedy and triumph, nostalgia and hope, and acceptance and success.

It has been a rough few years for everyone. A story with fan-favorite characters ending in a triumphant ride into the sunset, filled with harrowing and trying events but finishing in a grand explosion of love, peace, friendship, and hope will not just wring tears from any long-time MCU fan. It could give audiences some closure to the MCU films of the past and to the era in which the films were enjoyed.

A time for new beginnings, fresh hope in the future and each other is certainly in order, so maybe Quill, Gamora, Rocket, Groot, Drax, Mantis, and Nebula can beat the odds stacked against them and win the day together. It would be reminiscent, optimistic, and honest for audiences passionately rooting for them. We hope to see all this and more happen for the Guardians when Vol. 3 is released on May 5, 2023.