The Somber Salute In The GOTG 3 Trailer Has Fans Prepared To Mourn Drax

Even before the Super Bowl 2023 trailer for "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" dropped, it seemed unlikely that there would be any dry eyes for this final adventure. Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and his gang of unlikely heroes have traveled through the stars, fighting everything from megalomaniacs to living planets — but it is their family dynamics that are the most moving. Already, the Guardians have lost many friends and allies that have seemed impossible to live without. And although timeline shenanigans at the end of "Avengers: Endgame" brought back a version of Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), it doesn't appear that it will be smooth sailing for long.

With director James Gunn the new co-head of Warner Bros. and set to decide the fate of all DC properties, the time has come to say goodbye to his Marvel trilogy. The new trailer shows many potentially gut-punching moments, including what appears to be a devastating origin story for Rocket (Bradley Cooper). But after close inspection, fans have become convinced that one main character will not survive to the end.

News of Drax's (Dave Bautista) demise has already been the source of much speculation. In a recent interview with GQ, the actor confirmed that he is leaving the strangely literal warrior alien in the rearview mirror, which is not surprising; Bautista has a lot on his plate with M. Night Shyamalan's new film "Knock at the Cabin" and reprising his role as Beast Rabban in "Dune Part Two."

Fans now have even more to focus their theories around based on a brief frame from the "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" trailer. Amid the chaos of battles and a killer soundtrack, one brief scene shows Nebula (Karen Gillan) and Groot (Vin Diesel) giving a Ravager salute. This honorable gesture was featured in the previous film after Yondu's death (Michael Rooker), and fans on Twitter have done simple math, coming to one conclusion.

@GabiMG_News analyzed the screenshot, posting: "This seems to be a somber farewell scene, it's probably Drax's." Other fans such as @itsjustanx were more certain of Drax's potential farewell, showing a clip of Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) and Drax engaged in a fight. Knowing James Gunn's penchant for emotional resonance, it's safe to say that someone will perish — this was the director who made Ratcatcher II (Daniela Melchior) one of the most heartfelt characters in "The Suicide Squad." Considering that this is the conclusion of a trilogy already full of emotion, there is no telling just how far Gunn will go to break viewers' hearts.