Cosmo In Guardians of the Galaxy 3 Supports GOTG 4 Reboot Theories

The introduction of Cosmo the Spacedog in Guardians of the Galaxy 3 supports theories that Guardians of the Galaxy 4 will feature a rebooted team.

The confirmation of Cosmo the Spacedog in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 supports reboot theories for Guardians of the Galaxy 4. Marvel Studios brought the Guardians of the Galaxy together for the first time in 2014. Star-Lord, Drax, Gamora, Rocket, and Groot have been the team’s core ever since, while Mantis, Nebula, and Kraglin have joined the roster. Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is confirmed to be the end of this iteration of the team, sparking theories that Guardians of the Galaxy 4 could reboot the team with a new lineup. Some suggestions even wonder if the new roster will be teased in Phase 5. Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is officially part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 5 slate. While James Gunn has maintained his stance that this will be the final appearance of the original Guardians team, he has left the door open to a fourth film happening.

Thanks to the reveal that Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special‘s Maria Bakalova will again play Cosmo the Spacedog in Guardians of the Galaxy 3, the theories of a rebooted team have now gained more traction. Audiences briefly saw Cosmo in the first Guardians of the Galaxy film, but the telepathic canine did not display any of these abilities. While Cosmo’s brief scenes in the Holiday Special didn’t reveal much about what he’ll be up to in Vol. 3, the comics could provide a guide for what she’ll bring to the movie. In the comics, Cosmo played a major role in helping Star-Lord form the 2008 Guardians of the Galaxy team the MCU brought to life. Cosmo runs Knowhere in the source material and allowed the Guardians to make the Celestial head their base of operations. It is now possible that Cosmo will give Guardians of the Galaxy 4‘s rebooted team the same privilege.

Related: Why Guardians Of The Galaxy’s MCU Era Ends With Vol. 3

Will Cosmo Return For Guardians of the Galaxy 4?

Marvel Studios has not made any announcements about Guardians of the Galaxy 4 happening, but the likelihood of it continues to grow. They have now shown a willingness to make fourth installments of successful franchises, such as with Thor: Love and Thunder. The Captain America and Spider-Man franchises will also reach fourth entries. Guardians of the Galaxy 4 could follow the footsteps of Captain America: New World Order and feature new leads and a fresh creative team. This could pave the way for Cosmo to return in some fashion for the Guardians of the Galaxy 3 sequel.

Cosmo has worked directly with the Guardians of the Galaxy in the past, so the confirmation that they will interact in the threequel opens the door for their partnership to continue in Guardians of the Galaxy 4. Cosmo’s telepathic powers would give the team another powerful member. With Guardians of the Galaxy 3 also introducing Adam Warlock and speculation about Phyla-Vel appearing too, they could unite with Cosmo as part of Guardians of the Galaxy 4‘s rebooted team.

The Next Guardians Of The Galaxy Could Have Appeared Already

If there’s a character previously introduced in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies who could be part of the team, it’s Stakar Ogord (Sylvester Stallone), the high-ranking Ravager who banished Yondu for child-trafficking, but later honored Yondu at his funeral when he learned the truth about his fellow Ravager’s heroism. Stakar Ogord, Charlie-27, and Mainframe were pretty cool, and could potentially provide part of the starting lineup for the next core Guardians team. It’s unlikely, but still a viable and fun direction for the MCU to explore. With the core team members seemingly headed for doom, maybe it’s time for the MCU to take full advantage of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 and Vol. 3 being Sylvester Stallone action movies.

The GotG 3 Trailer Teases Several Deaths

Notably, the Guardians of the Galaxy 3 trailer foreshadows the deaths of various characters, particularly core team members like Peter Quill/Star-Lord and Groot, who again says “We are Groot” in a trailer scene that previews what appears to be a last stand moment. Following through on James Gunn’s promise of exploring Rocket Raccoon’s origin, Raccoon also seems geared to take on the High Evolutionary, which may just be enough to kill even the feistiest Guardian. Upon closer examination, even the jokes in the trailer – like Drax’s insistence on killing just one person whom no one loves – reeks of a main character’s death. Vol. 3 could very well be the end of the original Guardians – but also the beginning of a new team. The fate of the Guardians of the Galaxy after Vol. 3 seems grim, yet with characters like Cosmo the Space Dog, Mantis, Stakar Ogord, and even Kraglin getting more of the spotlight, there’s bound to be enough surviving cast members for Guardians of the Galaxy 4 and the rest of the Multiverse Saga.

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