Guardians of the Galaxy 3 was originally meant to start Phase 4, and that would have drastically changed the MCU’s present and future as we know it.

Marvel Studios’ original plans had Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 start Phase 4, and this would have dramatically changed the movie and Marvel Cinematic Universe if it happened. The third and final entry in James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy finally arrived in theaters in May 2023 as the second film of Phase 5 in the Multiverse Saga. The film took much longer to get made than expected considering it was originally confirmed to be in development in 2017. This is because Guardians of the Galaxy 3 was delayed several years due to James Gunn’s firing and rehiring, which meant it was pushed back to accommodate his schedule.

Before Disney fired James Gunn, the writer-director was prepping so Guardians of the Galaxy 3 could be the first MCU movie in Phase 4. He was quite clear about the intention for the movie to be out in theaters in May 2020. His firing changed the trajectory of the MCU in several ways. A chain reaction of moves led to Black Widow being the first MCU Phase 4 movie, while the launch of Disney+ enabled WandaVision to be the first Phase 4 release in early 2021. However, an alternate universe exists where Guardians of the Galaxy 3 starts Phase 4 as intended and changes the MCU.

Guardians of the Galaxy 3 Beginning Phase 4 Would Put A Focus On Space

If Guardians of the Galaxy 3 was the first Phase 4 movie as planned, Marvel Studios would have launched the post-Avengers: Endgame narrative with a definitive focus on space. This is a drastically different way to begin Phase 4 than what Marvel Studios ultimately did. The movie introduces a new Guardians of the Galaxy team led by Rocket and sets up Star-Lord to return for more adventure, allowing more cosmic stories to be told in the years to come. It is even possible that Guardians of the Galaxy 3 would have changed Marvel Studios’ entire plans, allowing them to lean into a more galactic story before doing the Multiverse Saga.

Guardians of the Galaxy 3 Would Begin Phase 4 On A Stronger Note

Marvel’s Phase 4 movie slate proved to be a bit more divisive than expected, as films either underperformed at the box office or did not receive quite as glowing reviews as the MCU had developed a pattern of receiving. This has led to growing criticisms that superhero fatigue, or more specifically MCU fatigue, is setting in for audiences. However, Guardians of the Galaxy 3 starting Phase 4 would mean a stronger beginning of this new chapter for the MCU. The movie has earned strong reviews and has been heralded as arguably Marvel’s best movie since Avengers: Endgame.

If the trilogy capper wasn’t delayed, it could have been an early example that the MCU magic is still in effect even as the original Avengers exit and the Infinity Saga’s story ends. With an 82% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, Guardians of the Galaxy 3‘s reviews are more positive than Black Widow and a handful of other Phase 4 releases. Seeing as how the movie builds directly off the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, similar to Spider-Man: Far From Home, there is even a sense that Gunn’s third film could have been even more well-received through this lens.

Releasing Right After Endgame Could Have Made Guardians 3 Even More Emotional

Guardians of the Galaxy 3 being the first MCU Phase 4 movie might have also changed the emotional impact of the film for the better. The original plan would have seen Gunn bring an end to the trilogy just one year after Avengers: Endgame hit theaters and killed Iron Man and Black Widow, had Captain America retire, and more. Since Guardians of the Galaxy 3‘s ending says goodbye to the Guardians of the Galaxy team as the MCU has known it, Marvel forcing audiences to once again see beloved characters exit the franchise would likely be even more heartbreaking coming so soon after Avengers: Endgame doing the same.

The MCU Would Need To Set Up Key Guardians of the Galaxy 3 Plot Elements Differently

There is also a strong chance that Guardians of the Galaxy 3 starting Phase 4 would mean changing how some key plot elements were set up. Gunn used The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special to reveal that Mantis and Star-Lord are siblings, Cosmo is part of the Guardians team, the team owns Knowhere, and more. Unless the special was still made to be the MCU’s first piece of Disney+ content and arrived shortly after the streaming service launched in November 2019, Guardians of the Galaxy 3 would have needed to take more time setting up these developments.

More Cosmic MCU Movies & Shows Could’ve Been Part Of Phases 4-6

Another way that Guardians of the Galaxy 3 would have changed the MCU if it started Phase 4 could come with the types of projects that are being released in Phases 4, 5, and 6. Gunn originally said that the movie set up the next 10-20 years of Marvel’s cosmic storytelling. This would likely mean that Marvel’s slate would include even more cosmic MCU movies and shows as a way to build on Guardians of the Galaxy 3‘s post-credits scenes. Instead, the MCU has largely stayed away from going too cosmic after Avengers: Endgame with Nova and other space projects taking years to be made.

Thor & The Guardians Would Not Reunite After Avengers: Endgame

If Guardians of the Galaxy 3 was the start of Phase 4 as planned, audiences would not have seen the Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor team up again. The characters appeared in the fourth Thor movie as a way to build off Avengers: Endgame as Thor was with them in the end and since it was released before the trilogy concluded. However, Gunn confirmed that he never intended to have Chris Hemsworth appear in the film. The lack of a continued connection would likely mean that the Guardians would not be in Thor: Love and Thunder, unless it was Rocket’s new Guardians of the Galaxy team.

Other MCU Projects The New Guardians Team Could Have Returned In

While the original team would not have been in Thor: Love and Thunder, there is a chance that the new MCU would give Rocket, Adam Warlock, Groot, Phyla-Vell, Kraglin, and Cosmo opportunities to appear elsewhere after Guardians of the Galaxy 3 started Phase 4. MCU projects connected to space like The Marvels or Ms. Marvel could have made sense for the new Guardians of the Galaxy team members to appear in. There is also a chance that the Guardians characters would be freed up to make other appearances in Loki season 1, She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, and more as the MCU puts them in wackier situations.

James Gunn Might Still Be With Marvel (Not Leading DC Studios)

One of the biggest ways how Guardians of the Galaxy 3 beginning Phase 4 could change the MCU is the possibility that James Gunn would still be with Marvel Studios. Prior to his firing and re-hiring, there was talk that he was going to help shepherd the cosmic side of the MCU and help Kevin Feige. Guardians of the Galaxy 3 releasing in May 2020 to start Phase 4 and garnering a positive reception would only strengthen the relationship between Gunn and Marvel Studios. This means that Gunn could have become even more influential at Marvel by getting more control and working with Feige to expand the cosmic side.

Not only is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 the end of James Gunn’s tenure with Marvel, but he is now moving on to lead DC Studios instead. This relationship was born out of Disney firing him, as it gave him the freedom to agree to direct The Suicide Squad for Warner Bros. before he returned to finish the trilogy. The Suicide Squad was a big win for DC and led to Gunn getting the opportunity to make Peacemaker as a spinoff show. Instead of taking over a corner of the MCU, he’s now heading up DC Studios as co-CEO, directing Superman: Legacy, and overseeing development on several other projects.

source: screenrant.com