How does Thor: Love and Thunder lead into Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3? Taika Waititi’s new Marvel movie doesn’t just bring Thor back to the big screen, it’s got the Guardians in tow as well.
Star-Lord, Drax, Nebula and the rest aren’t in the action movie for long, mind, but the scenes they share with Thor are among the most memorable. It’s exactly what you’d expect from a mesh of James Gunn’s and Taika Waititi’s styles of filmmaking, full of bright colours and explosive fun. Unfortunately, they go their separate ways before too long, leaving Thor to handle Love and Thunder without them.
But how does Thor Love and Thunder set up Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3? There are some pieces of information we can gleam from the fantasy movie, in particular, what the Guardians might be up to when we next see them again. Will Thor be involved? What about the Holiday Special? All answers await below, just mind the goats, they’re loud and uncontrollable.
Where are the Guardians of the Galaxy in Thor: Love and Thunder?
At the start of Thor: Love and Thunder, the Guardians of the Galaxy are answering distress signals for various races and planets. Thor has become one of their go-tos for backup in case something feels too daunting for Star-Lord and company.
After a particularly epic victory, Thor wants to go save his friend Sif, but the Guardians have other distress signals they’d like to answer. Star-Lord and Thor decide to go their separate ways, with the leader of the Guardians telling Odinson he needs to find a new purpose in life, rather than just tagging along with others.
Thor begrudgingly agrees, and sets off with Korg and their new goat pals that were given as presents for saving the planet they’re on. Thus, Love and Thunder begins properly. We don’t see or hear from the Guardians again.
What does Thor: Love and Thunder mean for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3?
Mostly, this just means that Thor likely won’t appear in either Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 or the Holiday Special. After joining up at the end of Avengers: Endgame, they’ve had their fun, and now they’re on different sides of the wider Marvel universe again.
We do, however, have some hints as to the story in either film. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is likely to show the aftermath of Love and Thunder, with the team dealing with the fallout of Gorr killing so many gods.
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Expect universe-wide disarray with so many powers that be unceremoniously cut down. It’s possible this is all dealt with in the Holiday Special ahead of Vol 3, but with one being a Disney Plus special and the other a full-on blockbuster, we might see everything bleed into the Guardians on the big screen still.
Only time will tell. For more on the Odinson, check out our guide on Thor 5.