Why Did the Original Guardians of the Galaxy Disband?

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is now available in theaters worldwide, and people are now expecting this to be the final dance for the original members of the Guardians because it was never a secret that James Gunn wanted to conclude the storylines of the original members of the group before leaving to head the DCEU. In that regard, the Guardians went their separate ways at the movie’s end. So, why did the original Guardians of the Galaxy disband?

The Guardians of the Galaxy didn’t disband but simply followed new paths in life after realizing they needed to do other things outside of being adventurous galactic heroes. As such, they all went their separate ways on good terms to allow each other to grow and find their own paths.

When Gunn said that this was going to be the final run for the original Guardians members, many people thought that some of the members would die. But that was not the case because the character simply disbanded the original group to find their own paths in life and make way for new heroes to rise. Now, let’s talk more about why the group disbanded.

They Didn’t “Disband”

One of the things that fans have been worried about for months was the possibility of some of the Guardians of the Galaxy members meeting their end in the movie’s events. James Gunn, who headed the three Guardians movies, said that Volume 3 was the final dance for the group’s original members as he will no longer return to the franchise to direct more Guardians of the Galaxy movies.

That was why the events of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 allowed fans to worry about their favorite characters every single time they got hurt, as those scenes could be their last. There were nailbiters for all of the original members of the Guardians, but the good thing is that they ended up surviving the movie’s events. As such, none of the original Guardians of the Galaxy members died in Vol. 3.

Still, after defeating the High Evolutionary and rescuing many people and animals, the Guardians met with one another, only for Peter Quill to tell them that he would leave the team. This started a domino effect, allowing us to see the other characters telling the group what they would do. As such, the original team effectively “disbanded,” but not because they left the group permanently.

The Guardians of the Galaxy team still exists and is now under the leadership of a familiar face. But the original group members simply left due to circumstances they thought were much more important to their lives. As such, the Guardians didn’t “disband” due to irreconcilable differences. Instead, they all parted on good terms.

The Guardians Needed To Follow Their Own Path

The reason why the original members of the Guardians left the group was the fact that they all thought that they needed to follow their own path. Following their own paths in life allowed them to close their character story arcs. And it all started with Peter Quill.

During the movie and even during the events of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, Quill was upset that he lost Gamora and that the current Gamora doesn’t romantically see him. While he loves being a member of the Guardians, his life hits rock bottom because he doesn’t know what to do with it. And Mantis, his sister, even suggested that he visit his grandfather back on Earth.

At one point in the movie, Mantis also asks Drax to tell Peter to learn how to “swim in the pond” instead of “jumping from one lily pad to another.” After the movie’s events, Quill took his sister’s advice by learning to swim. As such, he decided to leave the group to visit and live with his grandfather back on Earth instead of running away from the life he had left on his home planet.

Meanwhile, Mantis was the second to tell the group she was leaving. Mantis’s entire life was simply doing what Ego, her father, told her to do. Even after joining the Guardians, she was simply doing what the Guardians were doing. As such, she never had the chance to do what she wanted in life, so she decided to leave the group to journey on her own and discover new places and meet new people.

Drax suggested going with Mantis because she was his best friend. However, that was when Nebula told him that she needed him to stay in Knowhere. Nebula decided her responsibility was to build a home for the people they saved. She needed Drax around because he was a father figure to the children they rescued on the High Evolutionary’s ship.

Gamora never returned to the Guardians after temporarily teaming up with them in the movie. She decided that her new life was that of a Ravager, and she found her family in the Ravagers that took her in. As such, she followed her own path in life instead of trying to conform to Peter Quill’s own version of Gamora.

Then there was Rocket, who stayed with the Guardians and was now the group’s new leader after Peter Quill passed the responsibility on because he thought he was better suited for that role. All the other Guardians agreed that Rocket was the best person for the job, which was why his new path in life led the Guardians toward the future.

In a way, the old Guardians disbanded because it was important to close their character story arcs by following their own paths. As such, they could now make their own choices instead of conforming to the choices laid down on them.

The Next Generation Steps Up

Of course, the “disbandment” of the original Guardians of the Galaxy also allowed us to see the next generation stepping up. We saw hints of the next version of the Guardians showing up during crucial movie moments. For example, Kraglin finally learned how to use Yondu’s weapon. Cosmo the Dog also showcased her incredible telekinetic skills in the movie.

We also know that Groot told Adam Warlock that he deserved a second chance in life, which was why he is now a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy. As such, the stage was set for the next generation of the Guardians to step up, and we saw this in the first post-credits scene wherein Rocket led Groot, Kraglin, Phyla-Vell (one of the rescued children), Cosmo, and Adam on a mission.

The fact that Rocket is now leading a new generation of Guardians opens up many opportunities for the franchise in the future. This allows the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise to restart after the James Gunn exit to find a new foundation for the next generation of heroes looking to step up. But we’re not dismissing the possibility of the old Guardians returning in the future, especially considering that they have become icons to fans of the MCU.