Should Marvel Stop Using The Guardians of the Galaxy Forever?

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With GotG Vol. 3 finally out, the future for the series looks more uncertain than ever. In this video I go over if Marvel should continue the adventures of the Guardians and Star Lord in the MCU at all.
Music by Epidemic Sound (www.epidemicsound.com)
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Special thanks to Andrew Elliott (Stalli111: / stalli111 ) for editing this video!

[@captainmidnight]

Do you think this should be the end for all the Guardians characters? Go to brilliant.org/Midnight/ and sign up for free 30 day trial, the first 200 people that go to that link will get 20% off the annual Premium subscription.

[@billcasey2732]

Secret Wars

[@God-T]

I Want a rocket Movie I, I WANT A ROCKET MOVIEE With Howard Duck! Groot & Rocket!!!

[@Fantallana]

I’d actually be more worried about how they’ll handle Peter going forward than Rocket. Rocket (and Groot) work very well in other character’s stories in the comics. Kinda like they did with Thor in the MCU. I can see Rocket and Groot showing up in a cosmic character’s stories, like Captain Marvel. He and Carol play well off each other in the comics, and he could help get her some good character development. Peter though feels like he could be more easily written poorly or characterized incorrectly. Especially if they throw him in with the Avengers. I would like seeing him in those films though if done well. And I like peoples’ ideas of a Disney+ series on Earth, maybe with Nebula.

[@SEANLIGHTZTV]

I'm pretty sure when they said "Starlord" will be back they're just meaning "he's going to be in the upcoming avengers movies since those movies are usually direct threats to earth lol... plus.. I'm pretty sure Disney is starting to get worried about having too many of their new characters leading avengers movies.. so keeping some OG members of the movies is probably key at this point. - and in Thor love and thunders defence... ragnarok was written by completely different people... Taika & one other woman Jennifer wrote love and thunder andddd directed it.... so people saying Taika shouldn't direct or not be excited about that is poorly thought... he's a tremendous director.. he just is hit or miss with writing at times... jojo rabbit was a wonderful film he wrote and directed.. but again... having Taika direct teamed up with a proper writing team would be fine to do any movie of any franchise... no offence but its people like you who continue the taika negativity going (which I find odd because of how much of a fan I am of you to really point out things and be so well versed in cinema to not catch onto the whole love and thunder situation)

[@Coolgamer..]

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol is a pretty good movie and a soild conclusion. I like the team dynamic and Rocket's story was soild.

[@thedick009]

Personally I would like to see Rocket's new team pop up in various crossover movies and remain as a fixture of the universe going forward but never receive their own movie

[@HufflepuffBaseball42313]

Kind of like Wong

[@superblue5335]

I think that’s a great idea!

[@chaff5]

And each time it's a slightly different team. You never see what happens to them except when the main MCU movies run into them and "catch up."

[@DYLANBROCHILL]

When you accidentally explain a tv show

[@CMoneyBounceHouse]

I’m in exact agreement. They need to stay relevant because of Adam Warlock, but also, it would just feel so WRONG for another Guardians movie to come after this.

[@admiralweb27]

I will say that Volume III made me appreciate our world's creatures in a way I never could've imagined. Really beautiful.

[@Josh-df3on]

genuine question, what about the movie did that?

[@admiralweb27]

@@Josh-df3on The counter-earth segments, the idea that this maniac didn't want things to be perfect but just hated things how they were, it made me further appreciate how our world's animals really are beautiful and perfect exactly as they are.

[@domdry5757]

@@admiralweb27 Always love a wholesome take, completely agree :o

[@peterparker9954]

Gotg 3 did what the Peta couldn't

[@dannymuggleton6019]

You didn't before?

[@delbomb3131]

As per the car door scene, nebula learning about earth normality with starlord would be a lot of fun

[@P-P-Panda]

I laughed so hard

[@Odrikah]

Lmao that would be one Disney + show I would watch: pure slice of life with Nebula and Peter with Peter just showing her Earth stuff while she's visiting him for a week or so.

[@delbomb3131]

@@Odrikah heck, give me the shorts they way Pixar used to make at the start of their movies and I'll be satisfied

[@guspeixoto7740]

@@Odrikah honestly, I’d love a Disney+ show of Peter Quill just readjusting to life on earth. No setup for any multiverse shit or some other overarching narrative. Just slice of life episodes of a man settling back on earth after being gone for almost 40 years(Iron Man’s funeral doesn’t count).

[@EGRJ]

I want to see people hitting on her (politely). When she goes "Why?", someone points out she's a very intense six foot blue alien hero woman who sounds like Marilyn Monroe (according to Karen) and walks like a supermodel. The arc wouldn't be "here's how she gets someone", it would be "here's how she realizes that she's *worthy* of having someone, even if it's not the person hitting on her".

[@There_Will_Be_Goals]

Guardians is by far the best franchise in the MCU in my opinion. Sad to see it end but I’m also content with 3 great movies and a fun holiday special.

[@tommyrex6648]

It really is though. The character writing, dialogue, development, action scenes, drama; etc. it was consistently effective and high-quality work from start to finish honestly. I remember going to see the first one thinking it would be a waste of time and money because I had never heard of the characters before like, "Who the heck are these guys?" and came out going wow, this was really, genuinely impressive.

[@Jak2bossbf3]

They went from who tf are these guys to the most iconic team in the MCU

[@ryuoh6928]

It almost feels like it's own, contained franchise (aside from the Infinity saga); like it could stand on its own, aside from the rest of the Marvel universe.

[@TheMostCuriousGeorge]

@@Jak2bossbf3 nah from the first movie I could tell this was by far the best movie series in the MCU

[@mr.iiconic]

I still like Captain America slightly more personally

[@creyfishstudios7463]

I hope this is the end. They flew away into the forever and beautiful sky...thats the perfect end to the trilogy

[@1gamingwithlogan]

That line will always hit hard.

[@IcyDiamond]

I’m curious what they’ll do with Quill, they say he’ll return, maybe a Star-Lord solo movie, him joining the Earth based Avengers, I’m very curious

[@jordy2211221]

Based on how they set him up with his grandfather, I think it'll just be a small Disney+ comedy show of him doing mundane things on earth and learning to re-enter the human society

[@uchihabomber1296]

@@jordy2211221Star Lord getting a Disney Plus show really could work better

[@IcyDiamond]

@@jordy2211221 That’s actually a pretty good idea for a show

[@rogerkincaid931]

I'm not well versed in the source material, but were there anyone else besides Quill who took on the 'Star-Lord' moniker?

[@azaanimations319]

@rogerkingcaid931 Kitty Pryde became Star-Lord at one point.

[@fightthegrip]

I don’t know if I need another Guardians film or even any spin-offs, however I would love to see these characters in more team-up projects like the Avengers movies. I could even see Peter Quill joining up with the current team of Avengers as it seems like the best place he could professionally fit in on Earth.

[@marcusm975]

Couldn’t have said it better 🎉

[@Pandemomium4Life]

only for them to completely fuck up his character that was built up in 10 years

[@adeptdamage3669]

I feel like the Avengers would still kinda hate Star-Lord.

[@dw.dunphy]

In the original Star Lord comics, he had a ship called "Ship," which was actually a sentient being. She could take the form of a spaceship or a woman. I think it would be interesting if, after making his peace with his grandfather, Quill is visited by this mysterious woman, sent by Mantis to retrieve him. Mantis has come into the acquaintance of a certain silver guy who is being chased by a malevolent force (this is also sort of based on a run of Marvel Comics). Dunno, but there are threads they could pull on (after the writers strike).

[@therealmr.incredible3179]

Nah, Star Lord should have a Buddy-Cop type movie

[@syleshwhycantileavethisbla802]

My money's on Quill being a supporting character in a Nova project. I'm sure they'll get to the character eventually, and with him being from earth it makes sense to pair him with someone who's been through a cosmic journey already.

[@Pandemomium4Life]

Thanos Imperative is one of my favorite Marvel comics. That fight between Nova & Star Lord against Thanos was pure nostalgia even though it only came out in 2010

[@mikethecrimson]

I think he becomes the new Tony Stark for the rest of phase 5 and 6. He leads the Avengers against Kang and in Secret Wars.

[@dammarxo]

I thought the blue and red outfits they wore in the movie was reminiscent of Nova

[@talancorwell]

I still can't believe Nova isn't on the Phase 5-6 roadmap. The Nova Corps was introduced in PHASE 2

[@Pandemomium4Life]

@@talancorwell it’s because Disney is LACKING

[@derk5867]

I just figured that “The Legendary Star-Lord Will Return” was alluding to an appearance in The Kang Dynasty/Secret Wars. Same with the new Guardians team. I don’t really think we’ll get a new film/show with this characters, at least not in this saga, but I do think they’ll show up in the Avengers films at the end

[@benwasserman8223]

Took me a while to realize the child Guardian at the end was Quasar. Which, if they ever get Quill back, brings the Guardians lineup closer to that one Earth’s Mightiest Heroes episode (i.e. my first introduction to the Guardians).

[@NadeemShekh-uy9zn]

Yeah same I love avengers earth's mightiest heroes I hope marvel marvel brings it back for more seasons

[@benwasserman8223]

@@NadeemShekh-uy9zn Probably won’t. But Marvel HQ does upload episodes to its channel to promote the theme of a new movie or show. They don’t usually stay up for more than a week or two, sadly.

[@NadeemShekh-uy9zn]

@@benwasserman8223 their bringing back x-men 97 why not bring back avengers earth's mightiest heroes with the same writers, animators, voice actors

[@NadeemShekh-uy9zn]

@@theglassespro4557 exactly

[@princessjellyfish98]

I definitely think we'll see mantis again. I think she'd work great as a cameo in another space-based movie, and that seems to be what they've set up for her. I think the point of the mid credits scene was sort of like an epilogue to show that the guardians are still out there, but I don't expect to see them again. It would be nice to see Peter interact with some of the younger earth-based characters like spiderman and his friends, or shuri and riri, because he left earth when he was so young and it would be cute to see him absorbing modern pop culture from their point of view

[@fulsomeapollo95]

Unfortunately, Peter doesn't remember Peter anymore.

[@mvpfireant5188]

@@fulsomeapollo95 but Peter remembers Peter. If spiderman found out starlord was on earth he would 100% seek him out. Not to mention the similarities: both have no personal connections to any of the people of earth, and both are coping with the woman they loved not remembering them

[@fulsomeapollo95]

@@mvpfireant5188 That's very interesting. I am so stoked for the next Spider-Man movie.

[@Pandemomium4Life]

@@mvpfireant5188 Spidey and Star Lord was a funny duo as well

[@clumsysandbocks5650]

@@mvpfireant5188 Wow good spot, they would work really well as foils to each other. I think the only issue is that Starlord is at a bit of a loss and very immature, and Peter Parker has generally been paired with "mature" mentor figures (Iron Man/Doctor Strange). I don't think Quill would work well in this role, although it would be interesting if they flipped the dynamic on its head.

[@claytonrios1]

If this is the end then I think it's best to keep the Guardians retired. If a movie with the new Guardians is called upon I hope someone follows James Gunns example while reigning in some of the Marvel writers worst impulses.

[@Jose-se9pu]

They will keep exploiting the IP, heck, they should, but keep the original team alone.

[@claytonrios1]

@@Jose-se9pu The original team should be left to their happy endings. But I don't know if any MCU films will reach their former glory ever again.

[@Pandemomium4Life]

@@claytonrios1 Iron man, Captain America and now Guardians of the galaxy are the only mcu projects with good movies from start to finish (Iron Man 2 being underrated) imo. Spiderman movies were a little all over the place and didn't mean much apart from eachother but I understand if people put them up there too.

[@claytonrios1]

@@Pandemomium4Life I actually really liked Iron Man 3.

[@undifinder6643]

Marvel literally went from original stories to the cameo fan service sequel trilogy. I felt great that the post credit doesn't "give a hint" and I'm glad that its the consistency throughout all 3 GOTGs.

[@corgi151515]

I doubt the MCU producers would let it happen, but I also like the idea of a Peter Quill mini-series about him adjusting to Earth life with a compelling story about his family, sans a final battle with shooting and explosions. He seems tired of shooting and saving the day

[@Pandemomium4Life]

Nah I need to see him go all out in his FULL gear one last time. James Gunn left out his helmet and rocket boots for a dumbass reason

[@melissaharris3389]

A series of 10-15 minute shorts set on Earth could be very funny. Having Mantis and Nebula visit and cause antics would be great.

[@TeganCantEven]

My heart wants more GotG,.. But 3 was just so emotional and honestly just perfect,..I kinda think they should just leave it alone. Of course I would get excited if they announced more films for the series, but they would likely suffer from the inevitable and justified comparisons to Gunn’s masterpiece of a trilogy.

[@MultiPlatGamerGuy]

I think the Guardians of the Galaxy game proves that another writer can nail the vibe of the films/comics but can add their own twist to it. I loved the story in that game, and some even say it's better than the movies.

[@SuperNeos2]

I thought it was gonna be hot garbage after Marvel’s Avengers sucked, but the Guardians game was REALLY good. Story was amazing.

[@andrewli6606]

I just think the idea that only one person can write a character or series is just ridiculous or that one person is the lynchpin to a project's success. People other than George Lucas have written amazing Star Wars stories. James Gunn is a key part of GotG being successful, but that doesn't mean he's irreplaceable. Plus, having a new cast means you don't have to completely emulate so much of what's come before.

[@kadewade8726]

​@@SuperNeos2 it's so active with it's dialogue and the speech with drax and Peter is so impactful shits wild

[@NadeemShekh-uy9zn]

I love eidos montreals Guardians of the Galaxy game

[@daviddalrymple2284]

@@SuperNeos2 Yeah. I was puzzled as to why Square Enix devoted this huge portion of a livestream to a game that was obviously doomed to be a failure, but by all accounts it turned out well.

[@darkwoods1954]

Vol 3 felt like the Marvel of old. Also feels like the last dying gasp of that old, good MCU. It was a good epilogue to End Game. I think it should be left as the end of the Guardians series. I'd rather it end on a high rather than go on to be ruined like most of the rest of the MCU.

[@rhedosaurus2251]

Personally, I consider the 2 Spider-Man movies after Endgame and GOTG3 to be a 3 part epilouge. Shang-Chi was OK, but was barely able to justify its existance. Everything else was mediocre to crap.

[@mutalemwananshiku4098]

How was most of the mcu ruined exactly?

[@mutalemwananshiku4098]

​@@rhedosaurus2251 nwh isnt an epilogue, how did shang-chi not justify its existence

[@darkwoods1954]

@@mutalemwananshiku4098 Four years of meh movies. New characters introduced that are bland and boring. Quite a few of the best characters gone. Remaining characters undermined and made into buffoons like Thor. A new main villain who seems weak and unthreatening already. Some z list rapper twerking. Just to list a few reasons off the top of my head.

[@mutalemwananshiku4098]

@@darkwoods1954 marvel has had meh movies in the past. People liked new characters like yelena, moon knight, khamala, jack from werewolf by night, shang-chi and kate bishop. Thor may have been a buffoon but he wasnt undermined he had badass moments and by the end of the movie had a renewed purpose and got his hammer back. Kang isnt weak or unthreatening considering u have variants of him. Oh a rapper twerking the horror lile mcu never had characters dancing lol.

[@Topher0523]

I think we can easily see Rocket and Groot again as they are such fan favorites plus it’s easy to keep them around since they are cg creations. How they will appear I’m not sure but if another guardians movie were to happen this new team I’m not entirely sold on yet. If they throw nova on there though, that could make things interesting

[@billhoult3262]

Its a lot easier to ask bradley cooper and vin diesel to come in for half a week of voice over than to ask dave bautista to spend half a year spending hours every day getting into full makeup. I think we wont see any of the guardians again other than groot and rocket as cameos in someone elses movie, and quill as a side character in probably the nova show.

[@saifsufian4286]

I like the uncertainty of their future, it gives us so many possibilities. I also definitely think we should have a long break until we get back to them.

[@daviddalrymple2284]

I think the characters who make up Rocket's new team are the ones least likely to return; their spot in the ending montage had a very "and they all adventured happily ever after" feel to it (which is as close to Marvel usually ever gets to giving characters an ending). That speech at the end of "Love and Thunder" had a similar vibe to it.

[@BlinkNetwork889]

When Quill does eventually return, I want to see him find love like the love he lost in the past. I want his story to end happily.

[@JonathanSladkoTV]

I would love to see more of several of the characters. Rocket and Groot firstly, Adam Warlock would be cool, a Mantis spin-off like ScreenCrush predicted… and of course I would watch a Starlord standalone feature. But you’ve made the important point here: no matter what story they decide to do, if they don’t get the characters right, it won’t matter it won’t be good. They have to get the characters right, everything else is secondary.

[@JustSomebody5]

It should be mentioned that whether these hypothetical movies happen at all depends on who is willing to stay and do them. Zoe Saldana made it quite clear that she's done playing Gamora, and It's been reported many times that James Gunn is willing to bring along the cast and people from these movies to the DCU, although there's no reason actors couldn't take on both roles at that point it becomes a scheduling issue. There is always the option to recast the characters, however, that would bring on a whole lot of problems for these characters that have been so beloved for a soon-to-be decade. So going back to what you said, this is Disney, probably going to bite the bullet and keep this train of theirs going like the rest, for better and worse.

[@marcoscarrasco92]

It's already extremely likely they'll recast their biggest characters because the whole multiverse stuff allows it. They'll simply pluck an Iron Man from another universe and such. If they can get away with that, they'll recast the Guardians as well after a few years.

[@JustSomebody5]

@@marcoscarrasco92 yeah. Easily one of the best uses of the TVA/Multiverse as a narrative and brand tool is they're now in the position to recast *anybody* into anyone else, this can range from simple recasts like with Rhodes for Iron Man to Iron Man 2 all the way to ethnic or gender swap. The only limit is how much nerd rage Disney thinks will affect their bottom line.

[@keelanaponte1537]

If any of the Guardians do return, I honestly would be interested in seeing Bill Hader write/direct whatever they’re in. After watching Barry and seeing his balance of comedy and powerful dramatic moments, as well as action, I think he’d be a great choice.

[@ohnobro1424]

I would love this omg

[@dcengland]

I think Star-Lord could team up with Dane Whitman, The Black Knight. Dane needs to go find the Eternals in space and Star-Lord can get him there. It’s possible Quil is famous on Earth. He must have met Antman after End Game and Antman has a podcast that he could talk about Star-Lord. Dane seeks out Quil to take him to space.

[@sam-nc5ou]

I can totally see Quill teaming up with Whitman, or at least talking to him about the eternals and the huge celestial head peaking out of the ocean. They have to address it at some point I guess

[@JadoDog]

James Gunn and Dave Baurista wanted to do a Mantis and Drax movie that got canned. And after seeing Vol 3 and the Holiday Special, we were robbed! 😭

[@wyatthill6252]

Pretty sure the Holiday special was a toned down version of that.

[@hawkbearbrown]

I'd love to see Noah Hawley use the mid-credits Guardians team to do his take on the Starlin Warlock saga.

[@SmartypantsTutoring]

If they do continue, I’d want it to be what Gunn said. Something that someone brings something very specific and different and doesn’t feel like something copying Gunn’s voice. The only story I’d like to see Star Lord would return would be one as a nurse. Helping people, but in a very different way. It also be a nice call back to the first movie where he was understandably uncomfortable in the hospital.

[@Cyber0nline]

I understand that rocket has already been incredibly explored, but if they do it right he would be more of a gateway into a new trilogy, which would 100 percent need to feel different from Gunn but still maintain the same core of family. I’m skeptical of the new team but I do think it has potential, especially if Star-lord returns to the guardians

[@HeisenbergFam]

Puts a brilliant smile on my face to see Brilliant sponsoring this brilliant KZbinr

[@obowsomebrawlstars9016]

I really feel as though they are done with the guardians characters and the way they will appear again is through avengers type movies. The guardians movies are my favourite movies but I was really hoping for all the characters to be sent off in a heroic/ conclusive ending and it’s sad to see they’ll be nostalgia bate in future movies

[@Jak2bossbf3]

I can definitely see them becoming nostalgia bait

[@angelbak1371]

The only thing that I think could work right now is an animated series with the new guardians lineup. Something in the style of bad batch maybe. But I really think that they should take a break a break from the guardians. It was James Gunn's passion project so nothing can come close to his trilogy

[@lukaslambs5780]

Open ended endings are okay!

[@SuperNeos2]

Those are the best since they give you something to talk and speculate about with other people.

[@daredevil6145]

It makes you think about Fate and Future of characters... Like SAUL jailed for 84 yrs in BCS, if he died we'd have stopped thinking

[@nathanhighley7551]

I think I’d like a new Guardians team tv show. It wouldn’t have the pressure of the MCU film canon, and it could use a series of episodes to figure out the style post-Gunn and where the characters are going.

[@spritvio639]

I feel like the Guardians are done unless they appear in Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars.

[@anubusx]

I want a show where we see him catching up on evertyhing he missed while he was away.

[@unchartedchartz]

I think having Star Lord show up in the next Avengers movie makes more sense than a solo movie to me. He doesn't need a solo film imo. He's the main character of the Guardians movies already. Put him in a supporting role in the Kang Dynasty or something.

[@pance_9912]

I'd love a Peter/Mantis story for them to actually be siblings in. One of my gripes with Vol 3 is that it really doesn't do anything with that major revelation beyond paying lip service. You know who really feels like Mantis' brother? Drax! Their whole dynamic is PITCH-PERFECT sibling stuff. So how does Mantis get to something on that level with Peter?

[@jimmynoneya2584]

Ho boy oh boy oh boy..... I'm very much looking forward to this video thank you Captain Midnight! I always look forward to your tank on situations like this.

[@eliquate]

You need to have star lord teach Nova how to do his thing. It would be a great ark for him to be the “space veteran.”

[@papigringo5692]

More Guardians of the Galaxy films with the group shown in the mid-credits scene would be fine with me. The most important thing would be to respect the way Rocket and Kraglin have been written up until now. Their characters have to be consistent. The others in the group are pretty new, so there's more freedom there to craft them. It is true also that Rocket's story feels pretty complete now, as is the case with all the Guardians. Gunn did an outstanding job with that. So seeing more of them may feel a bit superfluous. Personally, I can't get enough of Rocket and I'd love to see him again. Ideally, we wouldn't see him for a few years and another MCU hero on a cosmic adventure would just happen across him, making a nice crowd-pleasing surprise. We'll see what they do. Above all, as I already said, they should honor and respect the characterization Gunn has given these heroes from the start.

[@daviddalrymple2284]

Superhero storytelling has always endured on the basis that even when you've given a satisfying ending to a character's personal journey, there's still more stories to tell. For example, Spider-Man had several "soft endings", such as where he has overcome his guilt over Uncle Ben (ASM 33 and 200 for example) and they have always kicked off new beginnings.

[@MartianDX]

Taking the New Guardians and teaming them up with other cosmic characters like Nova and Silver Surfer for an Annihilation movie is probably the thing I want the most. Though, Star-Lord is a pretty big part of that story aswell and having him team up with the New Guardians immediately after this movie might make that ending feel a little cheap. In that case you could either just leave Peter out of it, or maybe have his story seperated from the other Guardians. Either way, I'd really like to see that story in the MCU. A full-on space war with some of the most powerful characters in the universe would be a sight to see.

[@billhoult3262]

I like the sound of an annihilation movie with other cosmic characters like the f4, if they do anything with the new guardians thatd be what id want. For star lord, id expect to see him in a nova show, and depending on how well that works, maybe helping a young avengers style team with nova in it.

[@NadeemShekh-uy9zn]

@@billhoult3262 yeah do that with nova

[@ChumleyNuffington]

Banging video as always chum.

[@gregomyeggo4639]

What about a Peter and Spider-Man movie? Having this space pirate trying to be a ground level hero and having Spider-Man getting a role reversal and babysit Starlord would be pretty funny. No idea if we’ll ACTUALLY get Spider-Man again but that could be a cool plot methinks

[@dannymartial7997]

I think when they said Starlord will return, they just meant he’ll show up in the next Avengers or something, which might take place on Earth. I don’t think another movie will be made with him as the lead. A Disney+ show involving Rocket would be cool though. My favorite parts from Vol 3 wasn’t the fight scenes, but rather, it was the interactions between the characters. I just want a lighthearted slice-of-life show with Rocket and the new Guardians.

[@chasehedges6775]

The End of the Guardians Of The Galaxy is here and it was a beautiful end indeed.

[@astarionposting]

I think they will pop up here and there (minus Drax and Gamora since Dave and Zoe said they are done, but maybe they will decide later on they'd like to come back for another big ending in a small role, who knows?), but the new Guardians may play a bigger role in the new Avengers films, either Kang Dynasty or Secret Wars!!! Pom (mantis) said she would love to continue as Mantis in the future in an interview, so I think she may pop up sometimes as her leaving was pretty open-ended. Star-lord is confirmed to come back per the final post-credit scene, so maybe he plays a bigger role by the next Avengers film!

[@quantafreeze]

Great video. Thank you. ❤

[@dietdrpepper15]

Give me a Nebula/Gamora movie/series/epic all day long. They are so interesting and could so so much together, it would never get boring.

[@JerryFlowersIII]

The obvious next route I think people would expect is for Peter Quill to maintain his pursuits for Gamora but I think there was enough in VOL 3 to suggest he's perfectly capable of moving on and being able to carry that pain of loss, Peter has faced a lot of loss. So for me the next movie would need to find his new emotional theme. With 1-3 it was The Mother, The Father, The Self. To continue with any of the Guardians characters I think it needs a new emotional thread to follow. Vol 3 could be it for every character but if any of them are to continue on they need something that informs the plot to make the movies not feel empty. I think that's what's missing from so many MCU movies these days, consistent emotional themes and progression through those themes. James Gunn nailed it, his movies really feel like art.

[@JerryFlowersIII]

You could almost show just the Guardians trilogy to someone without the rest of the MCU but the one sticking point is everything that happens in IW and EG. That's a tough one. Those movies ask so much that it's hard to catch up with details in order to watch Vol 3.

[@omeganeoz]

Star lord in this movie was really relatable to me tbh, honestly made the movie so much better, having a character that i could truly relate to was nice

[@mmzero406]

I’d watch an Adam Warlock movie, he’s not with Rocket and Groot, instead he has stepped away for whatever reason for his own adventure. We seen him leave the new guardians at the beginning and come back at the end. Maybe he’s so strong he’s lost his mojo, nothing is a challenge, then he has an adventure and learns some lesson along the way that brings meaning back. Cliche in some ways, I know, but every story has already been told.

[@charissaruth18]

Yes to a Peter and Nebula story!! I loved their dynamic in Vol 3

[@jeff3221]

In my 22 years on this planet I have learned that while you may want more of something, you have to let it go at some point. I've watched franchises I've loved become abhorrent husks of what they once were. Do I want more Guardians? Yes. Do I actually want to see that happen? Absolutely not

[@bluebonnetdaniel8606]

My thought with Peter Quill is that he's positioned to cameo or support in another MCU film. Sort of like Doctor Strange in Thor: Ragnarok. He comes in early when someone needs an expert on space. Mantis is also well-positioned to help out in something like another Captain Marvel movie. I see them more as supporting players than heading their own franchises.

[@mercurialfunk2552]

I'm more than happy for Gunn to take a break but I'd be more than happy if they all came back for an Annihilation Wave film(s)

[@NadeemShekh-uy9zn]

Save that for a Nova movie franchise

[@Milkra]

Guardians of the Galaxy without James Gunn would be like Pizza without pizza dough.

[@timhalliday5839]

I think Gamora's story is pretty much done, if we ever see the ravagers again, she could show up, but she doesn't need anything more. Peter bring on earth could, and possibly should lead to joining up with the Avengers at some point, and the new Guardians team should show up in big events. Drax taking on a father type roll with all those kids will keep him busy enough that there is no reason for him to show up again, I can't see Nebula staying completely Knowhere bound though, and we could definitely see her on earth with Quill at some point.

[@EricRuskoski]

Id' like to see more Rocket Specific stuff!

[@family535computer]

An interesting dynamic to a Starlord and Nebula adventure on earth would be that, because of The Blip, Nebula has spent more recent time on earth (as an Avenger) than Peter Quill has. Much of Quill's perception of earth would be that of an eight year old boy. It would be fun to watch Nebula explain modern earth culture to Quill and him being, probably, resistant to that.

[@jor89088]

I feel like the writing team who worked on the Eidos Montreal Guardians of the Galaxy game would do a really good job with writing the characters for a new movie.

[@TheMilkMannnn]

The only other director I could see handling Guardians well would be Edgar Wright; another director with a VERY specific style, aesthetic, and perhaps most importantly for the Guardians, a command of licensed music

[@olliejohnson6448]

Personally i'd love to see Edgar Wright have a spin at a Star-Lord solo film, his take on music, action and comedy all in one could work wonders for an on Earth film where Peter gets exposed to all the music he has missed while possibly having an adventure with a new character we haven't met that Edgar can make his own

[@jimmyboy7817]

It's an intriguing idea, but I doubt whether Edgar Wright would come back to the MCU after he was replaced on Antman by Peyton Reed after creative differences.

[@aliceisoverthere4972]

I think it’s most likely we’ll see Star Lord and the rest of the Guardians show up for the next two Avengers movies and then hopefully that’ll be it. And I could also see them doing a Star Lord miniseries on Disney+ with maybe Nebula costarring. I don’t think it’s likely they would make more Guardians films anytime within the next several years, especially since I think after Phase 4 Disney is scaling back a little on the Marvel projects they’re greenlighting.

[@itsaUSBline]

So I was thinking, what if they do a Disney+ series about Chris Pratt's Starlord living with his grandfather on Earth and trying to reconnect and just doing slice-of-life stuff? I'd honestly be super into that. I think going the streaming miniseries route would be a lot less risky than trying to make more Guardians without James Gunn.

[@Brad02K]

Bautista & Saldana are both seemingly done with these characters which is cool. If Nebula & Mantis ever return, I’d want it to be in Quill’s projects, don’t just bring them back into the new guardians team. Then with the new guardians movies get a director with a distinct style and let him have a lot of control just like Gunn had, my pick would be Edgar Wright. I would prefer it to be over but it’s the MCU.

[@amf0078]

Yes I want them to return but not any time soon and I want a star Lord solo movie on Earth and a Guardians “reboot” with the new team we saw in the post credit scene. 👍🏼

[@leftoverciccia]

No, not the new team, that's completely stupid, they're just copies

[@amf0078]

@@leftoverciccia what? The one at the end of guardians 3 how’s that a copy

[@Alex-tc2ld]

Starlord staying on earth is a great idea. And we already have a blueprint for it. Starlord Grounded is a great comic series that explores this concept

[@armhelc7501]

I really want the characters to return, but not another Guardians of The Galaxy movie. "The Legendary Starlord" is already an established storyline in the comics, and I think that will definitely happen, but I think beyond that these characters should be parts of larger ensembles (the obvious choices for that being the new Avengers movies).

[@KennethTakanami]

"I rarely do a video on this" with all due respect Captain Midnight as I enjoy your channel a lot, you are always doing follow-up videos like this about MCU projects lol

[@captainmidnight]

In the past, yes. But it's been well over a year.

[@hiccuphufflepuff176]

I like the fact that Quill could now potentially run into Hawkeye at a hardware store (the Barton farmhouse is in Missouri) or turn up to an alien invasion of some small town and play the dumb local until he blows up their ship with an mp3 player.

[@djreksalot1202]

Starlord will return in the new sitcom "Starlord: Man of Earth" where it's just a regular sitcom. Hell just edit parks and rec to call Andy "Peter" in every scene and that's perfect

[@PyroScorpio85]

I would rather them make a Disney plus show just about Peter trying to adjust to life on earth after being gone for almost 4 decades, and see how he and others around him react to his knowledge and experience of living in space around aliens but also still only knowing about 80s culture. Like make it a slice of life type of show.

[@franciscomedina7034]

Really want a space buddies type spin off with cosmo

[@TheKillaMethod]

I'd make a separate star lord movie and cross him with something else. On the other hand make a guardian of the galaxy movie with rocket as the leader of new team.

[@metalplaysgames]

id love to see the guardians team from the post credits scene in a movie, hopefully looking into Phyla-Vell's history, finding her brother then her getting the nega bands then maybe reconnecting with the Kree

[@eltontan4340]

I hope this is the last GOTG film in a good trilogy,but on the other hand,I really want to see more of the new team,especially Adam Warlock,and I hope we can see the other characters like Drax or Mantis return in some way or another,at least a cameo.

[@schwa6275]

To answer your last question, as long as James Gunn isn't going to be involved, I definitely think the right thing to do would be to shelve the characters for the time being. But of course, like you said, that's not likely to happen when there's money to be made by Disney. I think the best compromise looks something like this: 1. Star Lord stays on earth, and is available to appear in further marvel team-up projects as needed 2. The remaining Guardians have their own separate movie or series that isn't called "Guardians of the Galaxy" but something separate enough to distinguish it as it's own new thing. I know a lot of people are wary about the possibility of more D+ series, but I think this group could actually benefit a lot from that format -- giving them enough time to establish Rocket as a leader, develop Adam as a character, explore the origins of Phyla etc -- and in the right hands, a Guardians tv series with a sort of sci-fi "monster of the week" format could be very interesting. But the big question is who's gonna take James Gunn's place at the head of this franchise, and I think that's the most important thing to figure out if Disney is going go forward with these characters. One thing I think people don't talk about enough is the fact that James Gunn *actually loved* these characters before being hired to write and direct a movie for him. They're like his babies, and the way he wrote them with so much love and respect ... you can't just hand his children off to new parents and expect them to care for them the same way. Finding someone with the same passion for these obscure weirdos that James had is gonna be a gargantuan task. All that aside, one potential prospect to continue the franchise is the writing duo of Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley. They've shown the ability to tackle large project in a similar tone to the Guardians movies with D&D, and already have experience working with Marvel, as both were credited for the screenplay of Spiderman: Homecoming. No guarantee that they'll be able to handle such complicated characters with even a measure of the nuance Gunn was able to achieve, but I think it's both a safe and reasonable pick. Anyway, great video! Been regularly watching your channel for a while ... I generally don't comment on yt videos, but this is a franchise I care about, and I'm happy one of my favorite movie reviewers enjoys these characters as much as I do.

[@asc3nded397]

I really would love for Guardians three to be a proper sendoff for these characters but at the same time Adam Warlock was so underutilized that I wouldn’t mind him coming back sometime and actually getting something to do.

[@samuelkent4674]

When I saw the first post credit scene I initially really wanted a guardians 4 but after having some time to think about it I only want a guardians 4 if James Gunn is doing it. I feel like another director won’t be able to capture what he did with these characters

[@TriColoredTiger]

My money is on a Disney+ mini series/movie with fish out of water StarLord learning to fit in.

[@melissaharris3389]

Having Rocket's new team show up in future Avengers' film in a similar way as in IW and Endgame where they're not the focus but part of a larger narrative seams likely. Some have mentioned Quill being in Nova; whenever that gets off the ground. The post credit tag feels like Pratt signed on for Avengers Kang/Secret Wars. Nebula and Mantis are characters I like to see more of. If there is more Space set cosmic Avengering Nowhere is a location that can be visited by anyone so Nebula could be space Wong.

[@davidg.4043]

I think a guardians show, that just has 30 minute light and funny episodes with some emotional moments scattered through it. I think this is the perfect fit for guardians

[@HeeminGaminStation]

I usually listen to the videos I almost shut it off at 4:15 because I heard “Nebula” and assumed it was time for the “Curiosity bundle pitch”

[@superonions22]

having a cowboy bepop style disney + show featuring the new guardians would be dope. just one off episodes with some serialization sprinkled in

[@MeetJani]

Starlord and Nebula Disney+ series with premise of them dealing with regular earth problems with other guardians popping up in some episodes would be cool if done right.

[@JGandthe2kk]

I want more there’s a bunch of characters his arcs really haven’t even ended and I think because the team is so very so lotta room to explore there it might be interesting to know more about Groot or Adam warlock

[@DrinkyBeery]

Guardians 3 just introduced like half a dozen new action figurable characters and a new mascot to make a marketable plush out of. The mouse will NOT let that die any time soon.

[@eliquate]

If only there was another medium where the stories could continue without needing a film production 🤔 Maybe they could make it some kind of book… like… with pictures.

[@chrisszostek6700]

The first post credit scene should go in a spin off in a series would do go numbers in D+

[@georgeabaraonye2159]

It could be cool to do like a massive star wars esque space western, Guardians/Nova Corps and Skrulls vs Kree empire idk could be a massive thing to build to over like a couple years of movies

[@61Penner]

First thing I thought after seeing the first post credit scene was that this would make an awesome animated series.

[@pizzaman231]

It would be kind of cool if they made an animated show as a follow up to the mid-credit scene group. I can see some potential in that.

[@12luckymax]

Starlord and Nova? In the comic Peter Quill and Richard Rider were friends. This will be cool introduction of this character

[@gustavomezzovilla7248]

I need, i really neeeeed to see Groots (the "original") relationship with Rocket. That origin story is one worth telling with a passionate director as Gunn.

[@MCLegoboy]

I respect that James Gunn didn't kill everyone off, not even the people that have said they don't want to return or whose contracts have run their course. I think it's definitely going to be a case by case scenario. The next big crossover events are most likely going to involve everyone both street-level and cosmic, so it would feel weird to not see members of the Guradians cast show up. Get the band back together? Maybe to help save the universe, but not just because they want to make more Guardians movies. But in a few years when the audience is really missing these characters, there can be a scene where everyone's convening to thwart this massive threat, having a moment where Rocket, Groot, Star-Lord, Mantis, and Nebula meet up and say, "Just like old times," and start blasting some music, and it would be a treat. As for other opportunities for characters to appear, I am not opposed so long as it makes sense. If the story goes cosmic, and someone needs assistance with something and they either know of someone who can help, or just by pure happenstance Mantis, or Rocket and Groot, or whoever is in the vicinity, and again, it makes sense for the story, then I have no problem either. James Gunn was kind enough to let these characters live on and not completely write out, even if that means we never see them again anyway. Happily Ever Afters from here on out for these characters, that's all I want, and if we happen to catch a glimpse of what that looks like every now and then, I would not be upset.

[@lepetitprince5977]

I definitely agree with you❤ Volume 3 brought peace to the franchise & it should end at here Chris evans once saind on leaving captain America role"you want to get out of the train before you get kicked out"

[@moscreefus]

I think Mantis should join the Avengers. There's hardly any actual Avengers left

[@PapaphobiaPictures]

If they return I think they should only be supporting characters to other stories. There's potential there to get a taste of them for fans but without as much dependency on their own stories