What happens in the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ending and post-credits? The stakes have never been higher for the Guardians and it sounds like this could be the final ride for the team, so let’s get stuck into the explosive finale.
The MCU is renowned for its huge final acts, and with the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 release date here, we could be witnessing the very last outing for some of the best MCU characters. With this in mind, the ending of the new movie is of great importance to fans of the best superhero movies.
If you’ve seen the latest Marvel movie already, then read on and dive into this Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ending and post-credits explained guide to brush up on all the details. If you haven’t watched it yet, there are huge spoilers ahead, so maybe just read our Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 review instead and then look into our guide on when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is streaming.
Guardians of the Galaxy 3 ending explained
The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ending sees Rocket get revenge on High Evolutionary, and the Guardians team save a whole ship full of prisoners in the process.
There is a lot going on in this MCU movie, so buckle up! The Marvel villain High Evolutionary had been keeping vast numbers of children and animals prisoner on board his ship as part of his experimental methods to build a new utopia on Counter-Earth. Ever since working on Batch 89, the mad scientist has needed Rocket’s brain to help crack the formula for his vision of a perfect being as part of the New Colony, but Rocket and the gang weren’t going to let that happen.
The whole Guardians of the Galaxy cast converge in an epic final battle with High Evolutionary when it seems Rocket is left all alone with his tormentor. The gang attack from all sides and defeat the nefarious wannabe god, and his mask is removed to reveal the monster he truly is underneath the façade.
That is just part of the challenge, though, and now there is a heavily-damaged ship full of innocent people and animals that need rescuing. Luckily, Kraglin is on hand to bring Knowhere to the party, and Nebula pilot’s the High Evolutionary ship to meet him. Cosmo the Spacedog is able to bridge the gap between the two vessels allowing everyone to jump across to safety.
It looks like Peter Quill may finally meet his maker as he gets stuck in space and starts to freeze to death (just like he did in the second Guardians movie). However, a reformed Adam Warlock, who is earlier saved by Groot, heads out to rescue Star-Lord and keep him off the list of everyone who died in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Once everyone is safe, the big climax sees the various members of the Guardians of the Galaxy deciding to carve out their own path. Quill opts to return to Earth to get to know his Grandpa and hands over control of the Guardians to Rocket, who assembles a new Guardians of the Galaxy team including Groot, Cosmo, Kraglin, and Adam Warlock.
Nebula and Drax choose to rebuild their civilisation on Knowhere, while Mantis wants to go it alone and prove she can stand on her own two feet in the galaxy. Gamora meanwhile returns to her Ravager family but shares a tender moment with Quill before she goes.
Guardians of the Galaxy 3 post-credits explained
There are two Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 post-credit scenes, with one setting up the new team and the other showing us what Peter Quill is up to on Earth.
If you’ve seen the film, you’ll know there is a couple of very intriguing post-credit scenes in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The first one comes mid-credits, and is a standard set-up for the future, as we see Rocket Raccoon leading his new team on a little mission to help out a planet in need. He is joined by Groot, Adam Warlock, Kraglin, and Cosmo. This certainly leaves the door open for a Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 4 release date.
The second comes right at the end of the James Gunn movie and shows Peter Quill at home on Earth with his Grandpa. They’re discussing household chores and bemoaning the fact that Quill’s step-brother (who we don’t see) is not pulling his weight.
There is then an announcement on screen that “The Legendary Star-Lord will return…” but how, when, or why, we don’t know at this stage. Perhaps more information on this will emerge as Marvel’s Phase 5 continues.
Until we know more, check out our features on how Dave Bautista is the best wrestler turned actor and why the High Evolutionary is the most hateable Marvel villain, or look ahead to The Marvels release date.
Alternatively, just explore our list of the best movies of all time, or look at all the best Disney Plus shows. And here’s how much money Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 made at the box office.