Warning: The following contains spoilers forGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3closes out James Gunn’s Marvel Cinematic Universe trilogy with callbacks to the previous movies, comic book restaurants, and plenty of Easter eggs. The movie sees the Guardians reunite with Gamora in a quest to save the life of Rocket Raccoon. The journey takes them up against the High Evolutionary, who created Rocket, and Adam Warlock, who has been ordered to retrieve him.
While MCU movies are known for stacking in their Easter eggs,Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3isn’t overloaded with them. In fact, instead of hiding a lot of obscure Easter eggs for the audience to spend time searching for, the movie favors callbacks to remind the audience of the fun they’ve had with the characters instead. There are a lot more nods to previousGuardiansadventures than there are comic book Easter eggs.
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The Marvel Studios Logo
Typically, the Marvel Studios logo consists of characters from across the MCU. Images of new additions have been added in recent movies, like Shuri as the new Black Panther or Kamala Khan as Ms. Marvel. That, however, is not what happens for the logo here. Instead, the logo is made up only ofGuardians of the Galaxycharacters as it forms. It demonstrates that this movie is the final chapter for the team.
Knowhere
The new base for the Guardians of the Galaxy is one fans will find familiar. Knowhere, the skull of an “old god” floating in space is a settlement and trading post of sorts. It was also the base for The Collector before the Guardians purchased it. Cosmo and Howard the Duck, both seen in this movie, used to be part of his collection in cameos in the first movie.
Adam Warlock
Adam Warlock was teasedin the very firstGuardians of the Galaxymovie, and his cocoon was seen in Vol. 2. The character is inspired by the same one in Marvel Comics in that he’s artificially created and tasked with working for the High Evolutionary. That is largely where the similarities end though as Adam is never presented as outright evil, just childlike and learning about second chances. While he’s called “the Warlock” throughout the movie, no explanation is given for the title.
The High Evolutionary
High Evolutionary is the aliasof a man named Herbert Edgar Wyndham. Wyndham was attending college in the 1930s when he became obsessed with the idea of evolving animals to a higher state, so much so that he followed the genetic work of Nathaniel Essex, who would eventually become the comic book villain Mister Sinister, and he was given work by an Inhuman geneticist named Phaeder to continue his work.
While there are no hints to Mister Sinister in the movie, the High Evolutionary’s work with Phaeder could potentially be hinted at. The movie sees the High Evolutionary use a gas on animals in chambers in front of Rocket at one point. That method is similar to how Inhumans go through Terrigenesis. While Inhumans had a canceled ABC series and appeared as characters inAgents Of SHIELD, in the movie timeline, onlyBlack Bolt, king of the Inhumans, has appeared in an alternate Earth inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
The High Evolutionary’s Counter Earth is a creation straight out of the comics. The idea is destroyed and restarted several times in the comics, just as it is here. Like in the movies, the High Evolutionary’s creations also rebel against his cruelty in the comics.
Peter Admits His Hand In The Thanos Snap
SinceAvengers: Infinity War, members of the MCU audiencehave blamed Peter Quillfor Thanos being able to snap his fingers. Peter’s emotions got the better of him during their confrontation when he learned of Gamora’s death, and he didn’t stick to the plan to stop Thanos as a result. Peter acknowledges that here, understanding that things would have been different if he had stuck to the plan. He does so when blaming himself for drinking away his sadness just before Adam Warlock comes to retrieve Rocket and the raccoon is mortally wounded. It’s an acknowledgment for the fans who have criticized the character, but it’s also a reminder to the audience that even MCU heroes like Peter Quill are human and make mistakes.
The Guardians Don Colored Space Suits
When the group infiltrates Orgocorp, they wear space suits in different colors. While some fans thought that would be a nod to the popular gameAmong Us in which each player as a different color designation. James Gun refuted that on Twitter, however, revealing the suits were a nod toStanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odysseysuits.
James Gunn’s Frequent Collaborators Appear
Writer and director James Gunn has a lot of actors that he enjoys working with across projects. Fans will recognize that his brother Sean Gunn, for example, has appeared in many of his projects, playing Kraglin here, and often performing as Rocket on set. He’s not the only frequent collaborator to appear inGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Gunn’s wife, actor Jennifer Holland, also appears as one of the security monitors at Orgocorp. She’s previously worked with Gunn in hisSuicide SquadandPeacemakerprojects in the DC Extended Universe.
Nathan Fillion also appears as a guard at Orgocorp. Fillion has actually appeared in all threeGuardiansmovies as different characters. In the first, he played a fellow prisoner but was in heavy prosthetics and makeup to appear as a different alien species. In the second, he appeared in cut scenes on postersas Wonder Man, a character that will now be played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in a Disney+ series.
Daniela Melchior also appears in the Orgocorp sequence as a secretary. She previously appeared as Ratcatcher II inThe Suicide Squad. Even Pete Davidson, who appeared as Blackguard inThe Suicide Squadwith Melchior, voices a character here.
Familiar MCU Voices
In addition to Davidson’s voice, fans will also hear some more familiar voices from the MCU. James Gunn himself voices Lamb-Shank, one of the High Evolutionary’s prisoners. Judy Greer voices War-Pig, one of the soldiers working for the High Evolutionary. Greer has previously appeared in the MCU as Scott Lang’s ex-wife in theAnt-Manmovies, though she did not make an appearance inAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Lylla the otter is voiced by Linda Cardellini, who plays the wife of Hawkeye in the MCU. Floor the rabbit is also voiced by another MCU alum. Mikaela Hoover, who appeared as a member of the Nova Corps in the firstGuardiansmovie, provides Floor’s voice.
Lylla, Teefs, And Floor
Rocket’s first three friends, all experiments by the High Evolutionary, and all there when Rocket chooses his name, have inspiration from different comic book characters connected to him.Lylla is the most straightforwardsince the Otter is said to be his soulmate in the comics, and they clearly share a connection in the movie as well. Her death at the hands of the High Evolutionary does serve to negate an Easter egg from the first movie though. There, she was listed as a known associate of Rocket’s in his prison file despite her having died before he ever escaped.
Teefs, however, looks to be inspired by Wal Rus. Wal Rus, like Rocket in the comics, is a Halfworlder, an anthropomorphic animal like those created by the High Evolutionary. Halfworlders, however, were tasked with guarding an asylum out in the middle of space. Wal Rus was one of Rocket’s original allies in doing so.
Floor appears to be inspired by Blackjack O’Hare, another Halfworlder. Blackjack becomes a mercenary in the comics and goes up against Rocket a few times. The character has also been a member of Gamora’s Guardians of the Galaxy in the comics.
Xeronians And Animen
While it’s made clear that the Sovereign are created by the High Evolutionary in thisGuardianschapter, the Sovereign are not from Marvel Comics. Other creations mentioned, however, are. Xeronians are from Marvel Comics, but not one of the High Evolutionary’s creations on the page. They’re a peaceful race in the comics whose leader becomes obsessed with power and goes up against the Hulk. The Animen are a creation of the High Evolutionary in the comics who are engineered to be his servants.
