GOTG 3 Theory: The Elevator Scene Airs Out James Gunn's Issues With The Infinity Saga

Contains minor spoilers for "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3"

After helming three crowd-pleasing outings that displayed his own idiosyncratic vision, it's understandable that James Gunn would feel a little possessive over the "Guardians of the Galaxy" team. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" is, by all accounts, Gunn's farewell to the characters before devoting his creative energies to the DC Universe, and some fans are picking up on a scene that might serve as a bit of commentary on how the intergalactic crew has been handled by others in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In a Reddit discussion of the film, u/redpandasuit asked, "Was the elevator dialogue a little jab/poke at how the characters were treated in the non GotG movies??" The scene in question addresses some of the actions of Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) during the "Avengers" films, specifically his punching Thanos (Josh Brolin) in a fit of ill-advised anger, which ended up endangering the entire universe. Most fans seem to agree that the dialogue has a metatextual component, and they're backed up by some comments made by Gunn himself about the "Avengers" films.

Those fans who believe that James Gunn took the opportunity to poke a little fun at previous MCU events during "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" have a little supporting evidence from Gunn himself. In an interview about the franchise with The Hollywood Reporter, Gunn admitted he had his reservations about the way Quill and co. were handled in the "Avengers" movies. "They did some things that I wouldn't have wanted," he said. The article then goes on to clarify: "Yes, he says, Star-Lord would have killed Gamora if she asked him to; no, he would not have punched Thanos and doomed the universe."

Fans like u/lamefartriot seem to agree that the scene represents Gunn's own point of view of past events of the MCU canon: "I know Gunn says he wishes they didn't have Peter do some of that stuff, so maybe!" But not everyone thinks that Gunn's take on the actions of Peter Quill depicted in the Infinity Saga are inconsistent with his character. "This might be a hot take, but I disagree with Gunn on this one. Peter has shown through all 3 films to not be good at keeping his temper in check when it involves the people he loves, completely ignoring any potential consequences," points out u/ThatLaloBoy.

Whether or not you agree with Gunn's characterization of the "Avengers" films featuring the Guardians, the subtext of the elevator scene seems pretty unmistakable.