Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 may be the last time we will see the Guardians as we know them.
Director James Gunn has been teasing Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 as a very emotional movie, which is in contrast with the lightheartedness of Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which was released sometime in late November, just in time for the Holidays.
In an interview with Comicbook.com, Gunn talked about shooting the Holiday Special and Volume 3 at the same time and the disparity between the two.
[The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special] is also very, very different than Volume 3 because Volume 3 is a really a very emotional movie. And it tells this story about Rocket and where he came from and where he's going, and how that ties into everybody else, and the end of this iteration of The Guardians.
So, doing this goofy thing like once every four days, and then going and shooting four days of Guardians Vol. 3, and then going back, it almost created a lot of whiplash. But it was also almost like The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special days were like snow days, you know? Those were the... that was recess. That was fun!
Gunn also talked about the relationship between the two movies and how he managed to sneak in details in the Holiday Special that may later on play an important part in Volume 3, recommending fans to watch the film.
Well, I'm always trying to be balanced with these things, so I think it's wonderful.
People should see the Holiday Special. You're obviously gonna learn a lot about where the Guardians have been in the past few years. You know, you're gonna see how they now inhabit Knowhere. They've got a new ship called the Bowie. They've got a dog [who] is part of their crew now who has telekinesis named Cosmo. So where you get to learn all that, and then there's a couple of bigger pieces of spoiler-y lore. You're gonna learn all of those things. In a way, the Holiday Special was a Trojan Horse for me to sneak in stuff that becomes important in Volume 3, so I don't have to spend a lot of time at the beginning of that movie explaining it.
When he spoke with Entertainment Tonight, Gunn warns fans that not everyone may be alive by the end of the movie.
Guardians of the Galaxy has a family film element to it, so I'm telling that story to a lot of different people. When Rocket says to Drax, 'I'm gonna shoot you in the face and kill you,' we don't as an audience think in two seconds he's going to pull out his gun and we're going to see Drax's face disappear. In this movie, The Suicide Squad, they say they're going to shoot each other in the face, and they not only say it, they actually do it. We know that can happen at any time.
This won’t be the first time Gunn kills off main characters, though, after the deaths of favorites like Gamora (played by Zoe Saldana), Groot (Vin Diesel), and Yondu (Micheal Rooker). Fans have been speculating whose death will make us bawl our eyes out, and so far, most are guessing that Rocket the Racoon will be facing the end of his story.
The trailer for the film was released a few months before the official release date of Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3, and fans are even more convinced of Rocket's impending death.
Baby Rocket and Rocket’s Origin Story
One of the biggest clues fans are pointing to is the appearance of Baby Rocket in the trailer. Volume 3 may focus on Rocket’s origin story, explaining how he became the skilled bounty hunter he is today. Revealing a character’s origin story will establish a deeper emotional character, which is often in preparation for the character’s eventual death.
Read More: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 Release Date, Cast, Plot, Trailer, and Everything We Know
Rocket is Done Running
We don’t know Rocket’s backstory yet, but we know that he was a wanted mercenary and bounty hunter in his past life.
In the trailer, when hear Rocket tell Star-Lord he’s done running. This statement is pretty loaded, especially coming from Rocket, who was detained in a prison when we first met him.
Rocket also tended to run away when the going gets tough and this was referenced in earlier movies like in Avengers: Infinity War. When Rocket chose to accompany Thor to Nidavellir, Star-Lord commented, saying that Rocket only went with Thor because that’s where Thanos isn’t.
How Rocket Dying Will Affect Groot
Rocket and Groot have been inseparable ever since we met them in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. Rocket seems to be uncharacteristically protective and kind toward Groot, especially after his death and reincarnation.
If Rocket does die in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, this could lead to Groot facing one of his greatest griefs in his new life, eventually maturing as a tree.
Why Rocket’s Death Could Make Sense
When Thanos snapped his fingers, and the blip happened, Rocket was the only one among the Guardians who did not turn to dust. Living a life without his friends may have changed Rocket within the five years he was alone. Gunn also revealed that when the younger Groot was turning to dust and called out ‘I am Groot?’ to Rocket, this phrase translated to ‘Dad?’
Losing Groot and his entire found family may have been one of the most heartbreaking things Rocket had to go through. Gunn also later on revealed that the Groot who returns post-blip is a different Groot from the one Rocket knows so well, leaving Rocket as lonely as he was before the snap.
Rocket has been through so much as a character, so he deserves a redemption arc.
The signs are pointing to Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 drastically changing everything for the Guardians, and if this means Rocket’s death, he’d better get the happy ending he deserves.
So...Does Rocket Die?
Spoilers ahead!
No! Rocket will not die.
Though the previous promotions and interviews with the cast and the director seemed to clue that one of the characters will die in the final film of the franchise, with most pointing to Rocket's death.
Thankfully, Rocket does not bite the dust but he does come dangerously close.
In the film, without spoiling anything much further, we see the crew mourning and fighting to bring him back.
While on the brink of death, Rocket's mind takes him back to his life before he met the rest of the Guardians, with old friends he shared his life with. Then,