Let's Talk About That Guardians Of The Galaxy Mid-Credits Scene And What It Means For The MCU

This article contains major spoilers for "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3."

The Guardians of the Galaxy ... no more? Well, in a manner of speaking, at least. Rumors of the demise of writer/director James Gunn's "bunch of a-holes" may have been exaggerated. Despite all the talk about delivering a definitive end to this iteration of the Guardians, leading many fans to assume that Chris Pratt's Peter Quill, Bradley Cooper's Rocket, or anyone else on the team would end up having their ticket punched in heartbreaking fashion, not a single one of the core group actually died. The lovable losers saved Rocket's life from the kill switch that the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) once implanted inside him, Will Poulter's Adam Warlock experienced a change of heart and saved Quill from an icy demise in the vacuum of space, and everyone received the send-off they deserved.

But that doesn't mean the Guardians as we've known them will continue.

Sure, the threequel ends with the promise that "The legendary Star-Lord will return," hinting at Marvel's larger plans for Quill even as Gunn makes his exit from Marvel to focus on "Superman: Legacy" and the rest of his DC responsibilities as co-head of the rival studio. But the mid-credits scene makes it abundantly clear that a new version of the Guardians might very well be set up for future appearances down the line. As with the Avengers themselves, it appears that the Guardians could be in for a revolving door of members. Let's break down the intriguing hints of what the Guardians 2.0 might look like in the future.

In an exciting twist for this trilogy, "Vol. 3" shifted the team dynamic right from the opening moments. Rather than focusing predominantly on Quill, Gunn made the long-awaited move to place Rocket and his origin story in the foreground of the film. With audiences now given a clearer understanding of what drives the bioengineered raccoon and the character himself having come to terms with his survivor's guilt, it simply makes sense that the story would end with Quill passing on the mantle of team leader to Rocket. In a rare moment of being moved beyond words, the film ends with the heavy implication that a future "Guardians" movie could position Rocket as its main lead ... until the mid-credits scene puts this tease into practice.

After the credits begin rolling, we dive right back into Rocket's perspective on an unknown planet and surrounded by his new teammates. Sharp-eyed viewers will notice not-so-baby Groot (Vin Diesel) sleeping one off behind the team before his big reveal, but he's joined by a whole cast of exciting characters, both new and old. Sean Gunn's Kraglin is there, having finally mastered the art of Yondu's (Michael Rooker) tricky arrow telekinesis. Adam Warlock and his loyal pet Blurp also make their presence known, adding a serious amount of muscle (and cuteness!) to the new group. And then there's young Phyla-Vell, played by actor Kai Zen. Rescued from the High Evolutionary's sinister experiments and brought on board with the Guardians, she adds a fun new dynamic that could end up paying dividends in the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

It's unclear if this mid-credits scene is meant as a prelude to a potential "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 4," likely without Gunn's involvement, but who knows!

Who says death is the only way to give a character a conclusive end?

"Vol. 3" concludes by giving each and every one of its members a satisfying ride into the sunset. Drax (Dave Bautista) and Nebula stay in Knowhere, taking on the responsibility of rebuilding the community as best they can. The empath Mantis (Pom Klementieff) embarks on a quest of self-discovery, freed from the pressure and expectations of her new family so she could focus on herself, for a refreshing change. Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), or at least the alternate universe version of Gamora who ended up invading the main timeline back in "Avengers: Endgame" thanks to some time-travel shenanigans, leaves on good terms with the team and especially Quill — who may not have recovered that spark of romance between them, but at least feels closer to her than before. She returns to the Ravagers as their more hard-edged leader. And as for Quill? He finally comes back to Earth to reconnect with his grandfather, who suffered the loss of his daughter and the disappearance of his grandson on the same fateful night all those years ago.

While we know at least Quill will return to the fold, as mentioned earlier, it doesn't seem terribly likely that we'll ever see this same group of Guardians reappear in future installments of the MCU. We can safely rule Saldaña out, who has previously expressed her desire to retire from the character and make way for a future recasting, and likely Bautista as well, who has made similar remarks about wanting to move on. But all good things come to an end and at least Gunn got to go out on his own terms.

"Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3" is currently playing in theaters.