Warning: This article contains spoilers forGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Since writer-director James Gunn has focused onGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3being the definitive ending of the team’s on-screen journey, Marvel fans were expecting at least one major character death, but the threequel spares all its heroes’ lives and still gives every character a satisfying ending. Most of the discussion leading up to the release ofGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3revolved around speculation about which character was going to die. All the trailers focused on the culmination of Rocket’s character arc, and both Dave Bautista and Zoe Saldaña had confirmed that the thirdGuardiansmovie would mark the end of their MCU tenure, so it seemed as though no one was safe.
Although there are a couple of moments that come dangerously close to killing off a Guardian, like Peter Quill being stranded in space and Adam Warlock beating Drax to a pulp – and, at one point, Rocket actually flatlines, so he does briefly die – everyone in the titular ragtag band of space outlaws manages to survive to the closing credits. But just because no one dies, it doesn’t meanGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3is a dissatisfying ending. All the characters find peace in a different way: Rocket becomes the Guardians’ new leader, Quill returns to Earth to reunite with his family, Mantis goes on a journey of self-discovery, and Drax and Nebula find a new purpose as surrogate parents to the freed slave children. The movie didn’t need to kill anyone off to provide emotional gut-punches or definitively conclude the saga.
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Characters Don’t Have To Die To Have A Satisfying Ending
When a character’s on-screen journey is coming to an end in a blockbuster franchise, killing them off has become the standard approach.Tony Stark sacrificed his life to save half the universeinAvengers: Endgame. Wolverine used up his last shred of animalistic rage to give the next generation of mutants a chance inLogan. James Bond was wiped out by a nuclear strike inNo Time to Die. The Baba Yaga was gunned down in a duel inJohn Wick: Chapter 4. TheStar Warssequel trilogy killed off Han, Luke, and Leia. Death is particularly prevalent in the MCU – Black Widow, Vision, Heimdall, Quicksilver, Aunt May, Jane Foster, Odin – because dying is the only way to ensure that Marvel won’t keep bringing a character back.
ButGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3proves that death isn’t the only way to end a character’s on-screen journey. The Guardians’ story doesn’t end with the characters dying; it ends with the team disbanding. Rocket forms a new incarnation of the Guardians under his own leadership,Quill confronts the past he spent his life running from, Drax and Nebula take on the more peaceful purpose of parenthood, Gamora returns to her Ravager comrades, and Mantis goes off on her own to figure out who she really is.
Gunn ultimately made the right decision in letting all his Guardians live. Drax making a glorious sacrifice to save the children or Rocket reuniting with Lylla in the hereafter would’ve been an easy way to tug on the audience’s heartstrings. But Gunn didn’t take the easy way out. Ever since Drax was introduced, he’s beenseeking revenge for the death of his family, so dying in a dramatic sacrifice would be the most obvious way to end his story. But, as Nebula said so beautifully, Drax wasn’t born to be a destroyer; he was born to be a dad – andGuardians Vol. 3gives him a second chance at that.
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Is An Emotional Rollercoaster Without Major Character Deaths
Each of the previousGuardiansmovies used a character death as their big climactic tearjerker. The original Groot gave his life to save his friends in the first movie andYondu gave his lifeto save his son in the second one. Killing off another character in the third movie would’ve just felt like it was following the established formula.Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3is just as heartbreaking as its predecessors, but it finds new ways to break the audience’s heart. As Rocket spends most of the movie lying on an operating table,Vol. 3focuses on the lengths that the Guardians will go to save one of their own.
The flashbacks to Rocket’s origins with the rest of “Batch 89” build to possibly the most excruciatingly sad moment in the entire MCU. Gunn didn’t need to add more death on top of that – it would’ve been emotional overkill. Rather than kill the Guardians, he focused on how far this found family has come, and how much they love each other. Mantis sticks up for Drax, Kraglin finally calls Cosmo a “good dog,” and Quill refuses to let Rocket die. Quill gets over his relationship with Gamora and accepts thatthe Gamora who came from 2014isn’t the same Gamora that he fell in love with. Instead of seeking a new lilypad to help him float through the great pond of life, Quill is finally learning to swim.Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3is an emotional rollercoaster, and it didn’t need to kill off any of its beloved protagonists to accomplish that.
