Avengers: Endgame‘s story ties to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 makes Star-Lord’s arc in the 2023 MCU movie even better, and I can’t believe I never realized how before. While the Guardians of the Galaxy have often existed as a very separate enтιтy in the MCU timeline, that hasn’t stopped them from crossing over with other Marvel heroes and stories in the franchise thus far. The motley space crew most recently intersected with Thor’s story in Thor: Love & Thunder, but also more famously appeared within both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
The Guardians of the Galaxy play various notable roles in the third and fourth Avengers movies, with Thanos killing Gamora to obtain the Soul Stone on Vormir, and Star-Lord infamously preventing the recovery of Thanos’ Infinity Gauntlet in Avengers: Infinity War, to name two prominent examples. However, James Gunn’s comments about Avengers: Endgame and Star-Lord’s perception of Earth upon returning for this chapter of the story also allow the 2019 movie to improve part of the ending of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
The Explanation For Star-Lord Leaving Earth After Avengers: Endgame Gives Him A Pretty Intense Perspective About The Planet
Given Peter Quill is originally kidnapped from Earth as a child to become the space-farer we’re introduced to in Guardians of the Galaxy, it’s far to ᴀssume he’d hold some thoughts about returning to the planet from early on in his MCU story, even if just to visit for a while. With Star-Lord shown as being fascinated by Earth music and celebrities like Kevin Bacon, it seemed the Guardians heading to Earth for Avengers: Endgame‘s climactic story might have given him the perfect chance to explore. However, Quill instead leaves Earth soon after Endgame, and for a very fair reason.
After being asked how Star-Lord would have felt returning to Earth in Avengers: Endgame after so long away from the planet, Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy director James Gunn revealed on Twitter (via Digital Spy) that “Peter despised being back on Earth and got off that planet as fast as he freaking could… He ᴀssociates it completely with his mother dying.“ This paves the way to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, where Quill is shown struggling with the aftermath of Infinity War and Endgame, though this is attributed more to Star-Lord’s reaction to the death of the original Gamora.
Star-Lord Returning To Earth After Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Means Even More After Learning Why He Left Earth Following Endgame
The fact that James Gunn revealed Star-Lord leaves Earth immediately after Avengers: Endgame because of how strongly he ᴀssociates it with his mother’s death and the trauma around it adds context to the ending of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – wherein Quill decides to return to Earth and reunite with his estranged grandfather – and makes it all the more poignant. With Star-Lord being established as having essentially fled the planet at the nearest availability after being there for Avengers: Endgame, his decision to go back and find Jason Quill not that long after stands out even further.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 sees Peter struggle with the idea of having lost Gamora after Thanos killed the version who’d formed the Guardians – and begun a relationship with Quill himself – with Mantis early on comparing the “new” Gamora who exists in the universe due to time-travel shenanigans leaving the Guardians, and Quill never returning to his seemingly sole surviving family member. Star-Lord processing all of this and deciding to give a reunion with Jason a sH๏τ means more with the added context that he had previously considered this unthinkable even when already on Earth itself.
Ultimately, this makes the hero’s overarching path all the more interesting. Rather than having Peter Quill’s trajectory being a straightforward and steady one, the MCU is able to show Star-Lord reconsidering things like staying on Earth, despite it being previously established as unthinkable for him. Not only does this add more dimension to his own story, it also makes it feel more real in a sense, as Quill is able to look back at his previous actions and thoughts and challenge them in a way that feels organic.
Star-Lord’s MCU Arc Makes His Story On Earth Even More Fascinating
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 addresses the idea that Star-Lord has a problem with returning to Earth for any meaningful amount of time early on, but conveys it as more the result of his complex feelings about Jason Quill and how he handled the death of Peter’s mother, centering things in a way that sets up the eventual payoff of Peter and Jason reconnecting. However, James Gunn’s comments that Peter actually has some huge emotions about Earth itself – that led him to actively despise being on the planet even briefly in Avengers: Endgame – makes things all the more interesting.
The promise of Star-Lord’s return already seemed to set up a prospective fish-out-of-water situation wherein Peter Quill is shown dealing with or having dealt with a planet that he was born on but understands little of – something that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 itself drives home when Peter struggles to drive a conventional car. Add in the idea that the last time Star-Lord visited Earth he hated it, left as soon as possible, and ᴀssociates the entire planet with his mother’s tragic pᴀssing, and it’s clear this chapter of his story could be even more complex for the character.
Though Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 changed the context around the death of Meredith Quill by revealing that she died from a tumor Peter’s father Ego created in her head, this likely has only further complicated Star-Lord’s feelings about the pᴀssing of his mother and his time on Earth. This makes the prospect of him trying to go about ordinary everyday Earth life with his grandfather after decades of space adventures an even more fraught one, albeit one that also offers the chance for Peter to deal with some of his trauma and heal from some of the old wounds of his childhood.
The events of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 may have actually contributed to Quill’s struggle with being on Earth, given it likely forced him to once again confront the tragedy of his mother’s pᴀssing with the new awareness that she was essentially killed by his father.
When and where Star-Lord could return in the MCU thus far isn’t clear. Peter Quill could well return in the story of Avengers: Doomsday or Secret Wars, but none of the Guardians of the Galaxy cast are currently confirmed for either film – and even if the Guardians returned in one of these movies, Peter wouldn’t need to be with them, since the new team is in operation without him. However, hopefully whenever Star-Lord does return in the MCU, the story addresses how significant his time on Earth is for the character, especially with the context of Avengers: Endgame in mind.
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Thunderbolts*
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
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Avengers: Doomsday
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Spider-Man: Brand New Day
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