In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, it's practically a given that some significant character deaths will occur, but fans believe they have determined who will most likely survive the final installment in the franchise.
The new trailer for the threequel suggests that some of our favorite characters may be at the end of the road. Fans on the Marvel Studios subreddit believe they have discovered the only character they can confidently say is safe from the chopping block. And that character is Mantis.
Why does Mantis? Well, it's because every other character has either had a terrific arc or we already know that they will not be returning to the MCU. For example, Dave Bautista has already stated that this will be his last time playing Drax as he has big plans for his career. Can we expect his character to die out by the end of the film?
Other characters, like Peter Quill and Rocket, have had two Guardians movies, two Avengers movies, and a Holiday special to further develop their stories. If they do survive death, they'll likely be retired and given a happy ending the same way Captain America was written out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
During the Holiday Special, we also learned that Mantis is actually one of Ego's daughters, which makes her Peter Quill's sister. This implies that there is plenty of room for her character to grow. But why would Marvel Studios spend time constructing her character in the future in order to kill her off in the next film?
Mantis is clearly the least deserving of death from the team, and it would be a bit of a shock for the audience to see her die.
Mantis seems to be the safest bet for the final Guardians film. However, many people believe that Nebula is also likely to be safe due to the character's personality, making her a fantastic addition to any team.
Although the Marvel Cinematic Universe isn't as straightforward to predict, we might be well off. Nobody knows what James Gunn is putting his finger on, which is why fans of the franchise are so anxious for the final film.
The sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy will be released on May 5, 2023.