Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3: Why Yondu Needs To Stay Dead, According To James Gunn

Yondu in Guardians of the Galaxy

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a massive franchise, which has featured a number of notable character deaths. But before Thanos came knocking in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, the most heartbreaking character death was Yondu's in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Many fans are still hoping to see Michael Rooker's character in Vol. 3, but Gunn recently explained why he should stay dead.

The Guardians of the Galaxy franchise is known for its complex characters, with both Nebula and Yondu being fleshed out following their antagonistic role in the original movie. The latter Ravagers sacrificed himself to save his adopted son Star-Lord in the sequel, in a truly heartbreaking sequence. James Gunn was recently asked about Yondu possibly appearing in Vol. 3, to which the filmmaker posted:

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Well, that was honest. While James Gunn hasn't ruled out Michael Rooker possibly appearing in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, it doesn't look like the character will somehow be brought back to life. And although anything is possible on the page, all signs point to Yondu staying dead in the highly anticipated threequel.

James Gunn shared his thoughts about Youndu in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 over on his personal Twitter account. The visionary filmmaker regularly uses social media to communicate with the fans about his comic book movies, including DC's The Suicide Squad. This time he directly responded to a question about the future of Guardians, and the possibility of more of the iconic blue Ravager.

Michael Rooker's tenure in the MCU is currently available on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

James Gunn's comments make a great deal of sense considering how Yondu's story ended in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. In the movie's final confrontation, Michael Rooker's signature arrow-wielding character sacrificed himself to sacrifice Star-Lord. The movie ends on Yondu's Ravager space funeral, including a ton of cameos and gorgeous colors honoring the misunderstood character.

Given just how emotional Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2's ending was, it makes sense that James Gunn is shying away from reviving Yondu. After all, bringing the character back to life would make cheapen the emotions felt by both the Guardians and moviegoers in the audience. But perhaps we'll get a flashback sequence that can include Michael Rooker in the highly anticipated threeqeul.

All eyes are on what James Gunn has in store for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which will likely wrap up the trilogy. Narratively there are a ton of threads to pull from. The Guardians were hit hard by Thanos' assault on the galaxy; Gamora being killed by her father before Star-Lord, Groot, Drax, and Mantis were dusted as a result of The Snap. This bonded Rocket and Nebula, while the 2014 version of Gamora was brought into the current timeline in Endgame's final battle. Her location is currently unknown, with the team last seen boarding The Milano in search of her.

CinemaBlend will keep you updated on all things Marvel are more details become public. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next movie experience.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.