Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 had very high expectations from everyone. It not only wraps up what many could argue is the best trilogy of the MCU, but also James Gunn’s time with Marvel Studios. At the time of writing this, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has a “Fresh” rating of 81% on “Rotten Tomatoes”, which makes it the lowest-rated film in the trilogy. FandomWire’s lead critic Joshua Ryan gave the film a 7/10, calling it “a fun yet bumpy ride”. You can read that review here.
The aspect of this film that people looked forward to the most was seeing our favorite ragtag team go on one last adventure. James Gunn made these characters a household name and wanted to give them a proper swan song before tacking the DCU. In classic Marvel fashion, the film has both a mid-credits and post-credits scene. Let’s explore both scenes and discover what they mean for the future of the MCU.
There will be spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 below, so read at your own risk!
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Ending/Mid-Credits Scene Explained
It’s difficult to talk about the mid-credits scene without talking about the ending of the film. The Guardians of the Galaxy as we know them have decided they need to go on different paths after defeating the High Evolutionary. Peter decides to return to Earth to reunite with his grandfather. Mantis decides she needs to discover what she wants to do with her life without being ordered by Ego and the Guardians.
The new/old Gamora, who was never officially part of the team, returns to the Ravagers where she feels like she has a family. Nebula and Drax remain on Knowhere in order to raise the children rescued from the High Evolutionary. That leaves Rocket and Groot to start the new Guardians, with Rocket being appointed leader by Peter before he departs.
While the mid-credits scene has a simple premise, what it means for the future of the MCU is very intriguing. The new team is undergoing a standard alien-race rescue mission, discussing their favorite songs from Peter’s Zune that was given to Rocket. Rocket ends up choosing “Come and Get Your Love” for the fight song as they charge into battle with a stampede of aliens.
However, the members of the new Guardians are the most exciting to me. Rocket leads the team consisting of Groot, Cosmo, Kraglin, Adam Warlock, and a brand new member Phyla. This new team should be very exciting for fans of the comics. Rocket, Groot, Adam Warlock, and Phyla were all original Earth 616 team members from the 2008-2009 run, with Cosmo joining the team later.
This means to me that we haven’t seen the last of the new Guardians and that they will play a role in the future of “The Multiverse Saga”. I imagine the next time we will see them is Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. The original Guardians will always hold a special place in our hearts, but it’s going to be a lot of fun seeing this new team in action.
Also Read: The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special Review: Marvel Christmas Magic
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Post-Credits Scene Explained
There isn’t much to discuss about the post-credits scene itself, but more about what’s hidden during and after it ends. The scene consists of Peter and his grandfather sitting around the kitchen table after Peter returned to Earth. Grandpa is reading the newspaper while the two of them discuss who should be mowing the lawn at the house. While that doesn’t seem like an exciting or funny scene, it is if you read the headline in the newspaper.
The headline is about Kevin Bacon giving a tell-all about his alien abduction from The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which was fantastic and a must-watch along with the trilogy. The other thing to discuss is after the post-credits scene, we get a message on the screen telling us that Star-Lord will return to the MCU. Much like the new Guardians team, I don’t see that happening before Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. Whether you like it or not, Chris Pratt isn’t done with the MCU just yet.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is officially in theaters on May 5, 2023.
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