Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 2023

As Peter Quill (Star-Lord) wrestles with the crushing weight of Gamora’s lost memories, his own emotional landscape becomes a desolate wasteland. Meanwhile, at their newly-established headquarters on Knowhere, the Guardians of the Galaxy are ambushed by Adam Warlock, a formidable Sovereign warrior engineered by High Priestess Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki). Adam’s mission is to annihilate the Guardians for pilfering from his leader, and he proves more than a match for Rocket, Mantis, Peter Quill, Nebula, and Groot. Even Drax, renowned for his superhuman strength, is subdued by Adam’s unyielding power.

As Adam critically wounds Rocket (Bradley Cooper), he flees the scene, leaving the Guardians to tend to their comrade’s dire condition. Unfortunately, the med-packs at their disposal are powerless against Rocket’s life-threatening injuries, which stem from a kill switch embedded in his programming by Orgocorp, the organization founded by the enigmatic High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), who is also Rocket’s creator.

With Rocket’s life hanging precariously in the balance, the Guardians embark on a perilous journey to Orgocorp’s headquarters, driven by their quest to find the override code for his kill switch and prevent his untimely demise. Meanwhile, back at Knowhere, Kraglin assumes command with Cosmos, whom he affectionately dubs an “ugly dog.”

As Rocket lies unconscious, memories of his troubled past begin to resurface. Abandoned as a baby raccoon, he was discovered by the High Evolutionary and subjected to a series of experiments designed to enhance his cognitive abilities. The High Evolutionary’s ultimate goal was to create a new breed of beings, dubbed “special race,” through his innovative approach to programmed evolution.

Rocket formed strong bonds with his fellow test subjects, including Lylla (Linda Cardellini), an otter, Teefs (Asim Chaudhry), a walrus, and Floor (Mikaela Hoover), a rabbit. However, their friendship was short-lived, as the High Evolutionary planned to harvest Rocket’s brain for further research and eliminate the defective Batch 89 test subjects.

The High Evolutionary takes Rocket on a journey through his impressive portfolio of creations, showcasing the Animen, Humanimals, Hell Spawn, Sovereign, Xeronians, and Star Children. Yet, despite his remarkable achievements, he remains puzzled by the violent tendencies exhibited by these evolved organisms. Rocket, with his innate intelligence, identifies specific flaws in the programmed evolution sequence and proposes solutions to mitigate their aggressive nature.

Impressed by Rocket’s insight, the High Evolutionary makes the necessary adjustments, ultimately achieving a breakthrough in his evolutionary program. Though initially perplexed by Rocket’s ability to grasp this complex technology, he fails to recognize that Batch 89 was merely an experimental phase, not meant for his grand vision of Counter-Earth.

As Rocket’s futile attempts to liberate his companions were met with brutal force by the High Evolutionary, a sense of desperation washed over him. The loss of Lylla at the hands of their ruthless captor only fueled Rocket’s ire, and he unleashed a fierce assault on the High Evolutionary’s countenance. In the ensuing chaos, Teefs and Floor fell victim to the henchmen’s merciless firepower, prompting Rocket’s swift departure in a desperate bid for escape.

Meanwhile, in the present, Ayesha’s treachery was revealed as she served at the behest of the High Evolutionary himself. The latter’s fury knew no bounds as he discovered her knowledge of 89P13’s existence had been concealed for years, and he threatened to eradicate the entire Sovereign race unless 89P13 was returned to him.

In a daring operation, the Guardians, backed by an alternate version of Gamora (Zoe Saldana), infiltrated the labyrinthine Orgocorp complex. Peter Quill’s attempts to jog Gamora’s memory of their past were met with skepticism as she revealed that it was a future iteration of herself who had shared a life with him. Gamora’s words stung, as she pointed out that Quill’s affections seemed more geared towards Nebula than any other.

The organic architecture of Orgocorp proved no barrier to the Guardians’ entry, courtesy of Gamora’s cunning and a decompression chamber. However, their covert operation was soon compromised, leading to a desperate fight against Orgacorp sentries. A daring rescue mission ensued as they retrieved Rocket’s file and made off with Groot’s aerial assistance.

As they delved deeper into the mystery, the Guardians discovered that the kill switch’s override code had been deliberately excised – a deed attributed to Theel (Nico Santos), one of the High Evolutionary’s trusted advisors. The discovery only served to further entangle the High Evolutionary in his nefarious experiments, which operated beyond the bounds of intergalactic law.

With their sights set on Counter-Earth, the Guardians, accompanied by Gamora, set a course for confrontation with the High Evolutionary. However, Gamora’s trepidation proved well-founded as she sensed the trap being sprung, and her signals to the Ravagers were intercepted by Ayesha, who shadowed the Guardians with Adam in tow.

Upon reaching Counter-Earth, the Guardians were guided to the Arete Laboratories complex, where Drax (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) remained behind with Gamora and Rocket. Meanwhile, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Groot (Vin Diesel), and Nebula ventured forth to meet the High Evolutionary, only to be forced to wait outside by guards as Nebula was armed.

As Quill’s group engages in a lively repartee with the enigmatic High Evolutionary, the latter unleashes his formidable guards to launch a surprise attack on Quill’s vessel, seeking to reclaim Rocket and salvage the Sovereign. Gamora intervenes valiantly, rescuing Rocket from the clutches of Adam and War Pig (Judy Greer), the High Evolutionary’s loyal guard. Adam dispatches War Pig with ruthless efficiency, intending to present Rocket as a token to the High Evolutionary and save the Sovereign.

Quill presses the High Evolutionary for an explanation, only to be met with a candid admission: the imperfect society of Counter-Earth is beset by flaws, prompting the High Evolutionary to unleash a devastating bombardment that wipes out the Humanimals alongside Ayesha. This calamity incenses Adam, who perceives Ayesha as his mother and is driven by a fierce sense of protectiveness. Adam’s ship is subsequently destroyed, leaving him with no choice but to take refuge with Gamora.

Meanwhile, Arete departs on a spaceship, accompanied by Nebula, Drax, and Mantis, who aim to rescue Quill and Groot from the clutches of Theel. However, instead of succumbing to capture, Quill and Groot escape with Theel, ultimately dispatching him before retrieving the crucial code from his lifeless body. Gamora arrives to provide them with a lifeline, guiding them back to their ship.

As Quill’s group utilizes the code, Rocket teeters on the brink of death, experiencing a harrowing near-death encounter in which he reunites with Lylla, Teefs, and Floor. From Lylla, he learns that his time has not yet arrived, as Quill leverages the code to disable the kill switch and revive Rocket’s vital signs.

Drax, Nebula, and Mantis stumble upon a group of genetically modified humanoid children on Arete before being apprehended by the High Evolutionary. The latter demands Peter bring Rocket back in exchange for the captured trio. Peter reaches out to Kraglin on Knowhere, seeking his assistance.

The High Evolutionary confides in his advisors that, across thousands of generations, only one experiment yielded true intelligence – and that was Rocket. He believes studying Rocket is crucial. The other Guardians stage a daring rescue, leading to an intense battle against the High Evolutionary’s formidable forces.

Kraglin (Sean Gunn) unleashes a barrage on Arete with Knowhere, dooming the planet in the process. Kraglin and Cosmos then join forces to save Knowhere’s inhabitants from a counter-attack by the High Evolutionary’s Hellspawn. It is revealed that Cosmos possesses telekinetic abilities. Intent on retreating, the High Evolutionary’s crew mutinies, only to be swiftly eliminated by their leader.

Drax, Nebula, and Mantis forge an unlikely bond with three monstrous Abilisks, using them as a means of escape and reuniting with Quill’s group. The Guardians delay their departure from Arete, choosing instead to rescue the children created by the High Evolutionary, who make their way back to Knowhere via a tunnel constructed by Cosmo’s telekinetic abilities.

Rocket ultimately discovers a menagerie of imprisoned animals on the ship before confronting the High Evolutionary himself. In a thrilling climax, the other Guardians combine forces to defeat the High Evolutionary and free Rocket from his grasp.

As the dust settles on the chaotic aftermath, Rocket exhibits an unexpected display of mercy by sparing the life of the enigmatic High Evolutionary. In a bold move, the Guardians spring into action to facilitate the evacuation of the animals from their predicament, successfully transporting them to the safety of Knowhere. Meanwhile, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) narrowly avoids catastrophe as he struggles to overcome the seemingly insurmountable barrier between dimensions, only to be saved by Adam’s timely intervention. This pivotal moment serves as a poignant reminder that everyone deserves a second chance at redemption and growth.

With his newfound perspective, Quill makes the difficult decision to part ways with the Guardians, appointing Rocket as their new leader. He then embarks on a personal quest to reconnect with his grandfather, Jason (Gregg Henry), on Earth. Elsewhere, Mantis sets out on a journey of introspection and self-discovery alongside the Abilisks, while Gamora returns to her old life among the Ravagers. Meanwhile, Nebula and Drax remain steadfast in their commitment to raising the rescued children on Knowhere.

In a thrilling mid-credits scene, Rocket assembles a new team of Guardians, comprised of himself, Groot, Kraglin, Cosmo, Adam, Phyla (one of the recently rescued children), and Adam’s trusty pet Blurp. As they prepare to embark on their next adventure, it becomes clear that this new era will be filled with fresh challenges and opportunities for growth.