On May 5, the last part of James Gunn's "Guardians of the Galaxy" opened in theaters and the story of our heroes came to an end. And what an ending it was! With Volume 3, the story around the raccoon Rocket, Peter Quill aka Star Lord, the tree-like being Groot, Gamora, Mantis, Drax and Nebula was brought to a proper close. Many tears were shed and not just in the film.

It was obvious beforehand that not every character may say goodbye to the franchise. But after the brilliant ending of "Guardians 3" we can now start making some predictions. So in case you weren't able to make it to the post-credits scene or your eyes were just too watery, we've summarized the whole ending of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" for you in this article. However, be warned, as this can't be done without massive spoilers of course!

The Ending of Guardians of the Galaxy

What certainly surprised many after all the speculation before the release is that James Gunn has let each of his Guardians survive. A lot of rumors were circulating about the death of Drax, since the actor Dave Bautista has declared his departure from Marvel. In addition, we also had the theory that Quill or Rocket would sacrifice themselves. But as usual with James Gunn, things turned out very differently than expected and following the final battle against the High Evolutionary, the Guardians simply parted ways.

Star Lord's Return

It all starts with Peter, who finally wants to face his past on Earth after many years. So he sets out to visit his grandfather who is already over 90 years old, but still alive. But a comeback of Star Lord is as good as certain, because as could be seen after the post-credits scene, it said that "The legendary Star Lord will return". The fact that he might head back to Earth was teased over and over again during the film. Before that, he was mainly busy mourning the new Gamora. Since these two will probably no longer become a couple, going back to his home is also only logical.

Now, of course, speculation begins as to when and how he will celebrate his comeback. Our guess here is, of course, the movie "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty". Even though he won't have anything to do with the new Avengers, it's still possible that he will come out of retirement for the final battle against the supervillain.

Mantis' Journey

Mantis also leaves on her own. Quill's sister wants to finally find herself after the death of Ego and her days with the Guardians, so she sets off with her three tamed Abilisks. While Mantis' character has grown over the course of the movies, her story seems to have ended as well. Whether we'll see her again remains to be seen. So far, though, there is no scenario where we can well imagine her in a future film.

Drax and Nebula Become Parents

Nebula and Drax set out on their journey as a couple. They want to take care of the children created by the High Evolutionary on Knowhere. A return of the two seems actually impossible: While Nebula has become more and more mature as mother and good voice of the group, Drax also became increasingly aware of his true destiny as the film progressed. As stated in the film, "Drax the Destroyer" became "Drax the Father".

Gamora's Destiny

Even though we had speculated that there would be a comeback for Gamora and Quill, we were proven wrong. Gamora seems to have really found her new family in the Ravagers now. Thus, a return on her part also seems out of the question. Actress Zoe Saldana did already reveal in interviews that this was her last "Guardians" movie.

Rocket and the New Guardians

Of course, things will get exciting with Rocket. He and his origin story were, after all, the main part of the film. Since the galaxy will always need its Guardians, he ended up being named their new captain. We finally got to meet his new team in the mid-credits scene: Not only do we see that his beloved music will continue to be a part of the Guardians. The new squad is also made up of familiar faces: Groot is now King-Groot, so even bigger and stronger than we've ever seen him. In the scene, he resembles more a boulder than a tree. Kraglin stays as well, after finally being able to control Yondu's arrow. Of course, Cosmo can't leave his side.

Also joining them is Adam Warlock. His role was one of the most interesting new additions to the film. Beforehand, many have already wondered how this can go well, to cast Adam Warlock with Will Poulter. But James Gunn surprised us yet again and turned him into a villain who doesn't want to be evil at all.

Who is the Young Girl?

In the end, we are left with the young girl that the Guardians freed from the clutches of High Evolutionary. She seems to have similar powers to Captain Marvel, as we could see from the beams of energy on her hands. There are already rumors about her being the character Phyla-Vell, known from the comics. She is the daughter of Mar-Vell and later becomes Captain Marvel herself.

The Future of the Guardians of the Galaxy

Whether we will see the Guardians again in one or another constellation remains unclear. So far, it just seems too unlikely that Disney could entrust this project to anybody other than James Gunn. With the conclusion of Part 3, it seems that at least the chapter about the previous heroes is closed. We can't wait to see what the future holds: the MCU is big and the outer space with all its planets, aliens and spaceships is an exciting setting. Should there be any new "Guardians" films at some point, however, it will probably never be the same as it was with Star Lord and his friends.