Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will not only be the final installment in this space saga, but also drastically change how Star-Lord interacts with the world around him.
According to what James Gunn and Chris Pratt tell Empire, the Guardians aren’t saving the universe in the threequel, they are saving themselves. Gunn says that the Guardians trilogy has a thematic consistency that will play out to the end. The first movie was about Star-Lord’s mother, the director claims, while the sequel involved his celestial father. The third movie will wrap up the story by focusing on “the self,” which, from what Pratt claims, is in a dysfunctional state.
“‘He’s living in a world where Gamora has no idea who he is,’ the actor said. ‘The love of his life is gone. This has caused him to drink a lot. He’s not the best leader.’”
We have to give Gunn credit for sticking out with the subplot of Gamora’s alternate version not knowing Quill and everything they’ve been together. In simillar scenarios, stories usually find a way to give the character back their memories, or reverse what has happened to them, but Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is accepting that development as canon and building its narrative from that point.
As for Peter Quill, the protagonist is one of the older superheroes in the MCU ensemble, so you can bet that going through an apocalypse and losing your loved one, only to find her again and learn that she doesn’t remember you, has taken its toll on him. And that’s beside all the trauma he’s already suffered through in the first two movies.
Whether you’re emotionally prepared for this final goodbye or not, Guardians 3 is making its way to theaters in less than one month on May 5.