The Future Of Guardians Of The Galaxy Within The MCU
Having firmly established themselves as a force to be reckoned with on their own terms within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s inevitable that the Guardians Of The Galaxy will be called upon to join in with the escapades of the Avengers – not least because other Marvel characters, such as Spider-Man and Ant-Man have also begun to do so. So, it came as no surprise when we learned that the team will be popping up in Avengers: Infinity War.
The third Avengers feature film is an important moment for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as it represents an early point in the culmination of the previous 18 instalments in the franchise. Thanos – who has appeared in Avengers films, as well as having played a larger role in the Guardians Of The Galaxy movies – will have a significant role in the plot here, and the title indicates that the action will revolve around his quest to possess the Infinity Stones. It’s clear, then, that the Guardians will play a vital role in the battle against this specific threat – which opens the door to some great storytelling possibilities.
As the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to grow, a criticism often levelled at the ‘team-up’ films is that there are far too many characters needing time and space within the plot – making it feel too densely packed, and sometimes, character-filled simply for sake of box office draw. In including the Guardians Of The Galaxy within an Avengers movie about Thanos, however, we have an entirely natural development that gives rise to all the potential conflict we’ve come to expect from a superhero group that includes large personalities, like Iron Man and Captain America.
Just as Iron Man clashed with Steve Rogers and Thor in previous instalments, we can expect the same irritation with Star-Lord and Drax, in particular, as these space-bound superheroes arrive with far more experience of battling Thanos than the egotistical Tony Stark could possibly have. We can expect them to ultimately find common ground, however, as the pro-active values of the Guardians Of The Galaxy are strongly aligned with those of Tony Stark – which he demonstrated in Avengers: Age Of Ultron.
All of these future prospects provide ample opportunity for further development of the Guardians characters within the MCU – and we can surely expect further sequels of their own, in addition to appearances in the films of other characters. Indeed, if Guardians Of The Galaxy was a popular first album, and Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2. involves some deeper cuts and experimentation with the band, then Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 3. should prove to be endlessly intriguing – when it inevitably arrives.