Small Details You Missed In The First Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Trailer

The first trailer for "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" has arrived, and James Gunn's MCU swan song looks like one spectacular adventure. The whole team is back — yup, even Gamora (Zoe Saldana) — for what appears to be the most emotional outing in the franchise. We see the Guardians jump all around the galaxy, landing on a planet that looks a lot like Earth, but its inhabitants... not so much. 

There's still plenty of comedy, mainly via Drax (Dave Bautista), but we can't help but notice the emotional weight the film carries. There's a lot of crying, a lot of yelling in agony, and even an iconic phrase that somewhat scares us. Might we lose a Guardian in this last installment? Or will we just be tortured by witnessing baby Rocket (Bradley Cooper) experimented upon? It will be a rough but fun ride if the trailer is any indication. Let's break it all down and dissect the small details you might have missed.

Toward the end of the trailer, the Guardians are cut off during an escape by a giant red monster with rows of teeth. It's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, but we've actually seen this big sucker before. This is the Abilisk, who the team fought in the opening "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2." Remember when baby Groot danced obliviously around as his pals battled the slithery, gooey monster? Yea, that guy.

This might let us know where the Guardians are at in "Vol. 3," as when they first encountered the Abilisk, they were on the Sovereign planet. But since this behemoth is a multi-dimensional being, they really could be anywhere. However, with Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) showing up in the film (and the trailer), they are more than likely probably on Sovereign with all those golden beauties. Since the first Abilisk we saw in the "Guardians" franchise was destroyed, it looks like there is definitely more than one of these guys. But what batteries is he trying to inhale this time?

Okay, so we all knew Adam Warlock would be in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," so this isn't some big easter egg you might have missed. What's more interesting is Adam's look and how he's stealing Vision's (Paul Bettany) style. The Golden Gladiator has a silver diamond-shaped gem in the middle of his forehead. Is this an Infinity Stone? Well, yea.

In the comics, the High Evolutionary (who we also see in the trailer) gives Adam Warlock what's known as the Soul Gem (Soul Stone to MCU-only fans). This allows him to suck the souls out of other beings, and eventually, Warlock realizes there is a dark side to the Soul Gem in "Strange Tales Vol. 1" #178. In that story, Thanos gets the five other Infinity Gems and comes for Warlock, but the Mad Titan ends up making somewhat of a clone of the stone. We know we're not seeing Thanos again, so the story in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" will definitely stray slightly from the comics. It looks like we'll see Warlock's more evil side in the film (because of the stone), but he's most often known as an anti-hero.

As the trailer threatens that it's time for the Guardians to "face the music," it seems likely that at least one of our heroes will meet their end. This foreboding sense of tragedy and sacrifice is underscored in one of the trailer's final moments, wherein Groot (Vin Diesel) bellows the immortal last words of his father, "We are Groot!" As he says this, he and Quill (Chris Pratt) seem to be surrounded by an army of enemies, firing shots as though they were making their last stand. The last time we heard this phrase was seconds before Groot perished in the original "Guardians of the Galaxy."

Several key characters are in obvious jeopardy throughout the trailer. In one scene, Nebula is seen carrying an unconscious Quill — in another, Gamora supports a critically wounded Drax. Mantis (Pom Klementieff) — an empath who takes on the emotions of others — is seen wailing in anguish, almost identical to Quill, who at one point seems to be overseeing a failing medical procedure. A lingering shot of a bloody instrument is followed by his scream, with what may be a breathing apparatus in the background. Of all its core players, however, Rocket seems to be the most poised to die. "We'll all fly away together," he ominously chokes through tears. "One last time, into the forever — that beautiful sky." Rocket is also seen bathed in a white, vast, heavenly light in one of the trailer's quick shots.

Gunn may be gearing up to off most — if not all — of the "Guardians" cast. After all, the director proved his willingness to kill his darlings in both previous installments, as well as his iteration of "The Suicide Squad." After nearly ten years of playing these roles, the actors may also be ready to say goodbye.

While "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" will likely be the last wee see of many team members, at least under the care of writer-director James Gunn, the debut trailer seems to focus a lot on Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) and his origins. One of the biggest hints of this is a quick moment where he embraces the sentient otter known as Lylla. In the comic books, she plays a significant role in Rocket's life, often serving as a teammate and love interest for the character. And now she finally makes her big debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

As for who will voice her character, that still needs to be clarified. There were some rumors back in 2019 that she would be portrayed by none other than Lady Gaga (per MovieWeb), who previously appeared in "A Star is Born" with Cooper, but those rumors are unconfirmed at best and should still be taken with a massive grain of salt. Regardless, introducing her character now is a big move for Gunn and company and should add another emotional layer to the film and Rocket's backstory.

For the majority of the trailer, the Guardians wear matching red and blue leather costumes. This look is seemingly a combination of the group's established MCU leather-clad uniform and the color scheme and iconography of their comic book revival. When Peter Quill was brought into the modern Marvel Comics Universe through a crossover event called "Annihilation: Conquest," he sported a militaristic redesign from artist Marko Djurdjevic (per The Mary Sue). When the character began leading a new "Guardians of the Galaxy" series in 2008, he and his team members wore a slightly altered red and blue version of Djurdjevic's costume. This appears to be the inspiration for their attire in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3."

Another eye-catching wardrobe moment concerns the vibrant, technicolor space suits worn by the team for what appears to be an extended space-walking sequence. Both the simple, classic astronaut design and the suits' bright colors had many fans on Twitter, drawing connections to the popular video game "Among Us." Whether or not the game served as a direct inspiration, the visual is undeniably striking.