Many highly anticipated movies are set to release in 2023, making it a big year where films are concerned. And while the MCU has seen several releases between December 2022 and now, many have been quite underwhelming. However, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is one MCU film that many Marvel fans look forward to. Of course, there should not be a way for Marvel to ruin these characters and their narrative, but then again, only time will tell. With that being said, the film’s release date is just around the corner, with it set for 5 May 2023. That means it is only a month away. And naturally, fans have been speculating where Marvel would be taking fans after Peter Quill defeated Ego in the franchise’s previous instalment. One of the more significant questions is whether Peter Quill will be able to retain the celestial abilities he gained in the previous film and if we will be seeing it in the upcoming instalment.
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Director James Gunn had already Tweeted and answered the questions of wondering fans, but now that Tweet has been deleted, this opens the door to a whole new world of questions. As many are aware, Peter’s origin was changed significantly from the story arc of his comic book counterpart. For example, Ego was not the father of Peter Quill in the Marvel comic universe. Therefore, we will explore the possible routes they could take Quill’s character and how that affects the MCU.
Did Peter Quill Really Lose His Celestial Powers When He Killed Ego?
This is an excellent question, and it may not be an easy one to answer. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) saw Ego training Peter Quill to use his powers. Ego specifically tells him to harness the light from the planet and not from within. This implies that the power Peter used in the previous film was not something he was sourcing from himself. It would mean that Peter had to have a power source, and one can assume that that was Ego, as Starlord lost his abilities when he killed the being. Despite this being obvious information, it raises the question of why Peter would not be able to use these powers without Ego.
And this is where it gets a bit confusing. We all know that Ego is a liar, trying to manipulate Peter throughout the film. As such, it is possible that Ego lied about being a Celestial being. We have seen the Celestials at the end of The Eternals (2021), and they look different from what we saw in Ego’s character design. And while appearance is no indicator, Ego’s power level did not match the Celestial beings at all. However, if Ego was telling the truth (by some miracle), Peter should be able to draw those abilities out by himself. If he carried the Celestial gene that Ego was searching for, then bringing out or possessing Celestial powers without Ego’s help would be plausible. So, while it is possible that he did not wholly lose these powers, it does not change that this plot point can also be skipped over entirely in the upcoming film.
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What Are the Differences Between Comic Book Peter Quill and his MCU Counterpart?
Well, the main difference (and the one most relevant to this article) is Starlord’s origin—or rather, Peter’s parents and the abilities they possessed. Of course, this might not mean much in the face of the upcoming film as the MCU already decided they would be leaving Peter’s comic book origins in the dust. In the comics, Peter’s father is the future leader of the Spartai Empire in space, J’Son of Spartax. And despite also being a powerful alien, J’Son is not nearly as powerful as Ego’s character in the MCU. What J’Son and Ego both have in common, though, is the fact that they are both terrible people. Ultimately, it can be safe to assume that Ego was a liar and Peter Quill has no ties to the Celestials at all, not in the comics or the MCU.
What Will the Plot of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Be About?
Having most of the original cast reprise their roles for the upcoming film instalment; the official synopsis places the events of this film after Peter loses Gamora in Avengers: Infinity War (2018). However, the trailer does show his reunion with a different version of Gamora. Clearly, the group is up against a threat that could risk the end of the Guardians as we know it. In fact, actor Dave Bautista shared in an interview with Digital Spy that fans should prepare themselves for the worst. He elaborated by stating that the group shot their last possible scene together, which was not even near the end of filming. This is not promising news as it could mean anything for our favourite characters, including more deaths.
Now residing in Knowhere, the team look vastly different from the characters we know and love. There has been a new addition to the team in the form of a telekinetic dog and a new ship. We will also finally see Will Poulter make his debut as Adam Warlock in the MCU after being teased in the credits of the last film. Unfortunately, James Gunn confirmed that Yondu would not return to screens as his character is permanently killed off. At the end of the day, only time will tell us where the events of the next film will take us and whether it will be a good or bad experience.
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TL;DR
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) saw Peter Quill killing Ego and sacrificing his celestial powers in the process.
- With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 coming up, fans are curious whether Peter will regain his Celestial abilities.
- Unfortunately, it can be assumed that Ego was lying about being a Celestial, meaning Peter will probably not see those powers again.
