Cue the mix tapes: The first trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 is here. The final film in James Gunn’s Marvel trilogy is notable for many reasons—including the fact the film almost didn’t happen in the first place over a drummed-up controversy that drove him to DC (where he now oversees their cinematic universe). In an interview about the recently released Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, Gunn spoke plainly about the future of the space team, stating, “It’s not ever going to be the same group of characters for a lot of different reasons. Who knows what will happen with the Guardians franchise in regards to future characters, but in terms of this group of characters, this is the end of their story.”
Released during CCXP (aka Brazil Comic Con), the teaser leans into some of that finality. After a humorous opening that appears to take place on some funhouse version of Earth—albeit one populated by human-animal hybrids—the Spacehog-scored trailer sets the stage for what’s to come. In addition to Peter (Chris Pratt) trying to find and reconnect with Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), who was time-displaced in Endgame, the Guardians seemingly run afoul of the Sovereign’s new weapon, Adam Warlock (Will Poulter), while Rocket’s past comes back to haunt him with the introduction of the High Evolutionary (Peacemaker’s Chukwudi Iwuji, reuniting with Gunn). The trailer concludes with a series of images nodding toward memorable moments from previous Guardians films, including a wide shot of the team, and Groot in a back-to-back shoutout, but with Peter filling the place of Rocket (Bradley Cooper) behind him.
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Speaking of Rocket, the teaser leans heavily into the character’s tragic origins, hinted at in the first Guardians film. The inclusion of the High Evolutionary—a mad scientist from the comics known for creating human/animal hybrids in pursuit of genetic perfection—likely teases that Rocket is born of his meddling. In that same Deadline interview, Gunn mentioned he needed to do Volume 3 to bring closure to Rocket’s story. “I love the character of Rocket more than any character I’ve ever dealt with before, and I need to finish his story, and that is what Volume 3 is about.” The teaser implies a tragic fate for the beloved trash panda—and maybe some of the team’s other characters, too, judging by several other shots. We’ll find out on May 5, when Guardians releases.