A New Guardian of the Galaxy Can Carry On Drax"s MCU Legacy

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Drax's story can continue despite his departure in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 if one new cosmic hero is introduced in the MCU's future. Dave Bautista debuted as Drax the Destroyer in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, becoming a founding member of the team due to his mission of vengeance against Ronan and Thanos. After appearing in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Thor: Love & Thunder, and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, Bautista revealed that Vol. 3 would mark his final appearance as Drax, as he retired from the Guardians to assist Nebula in running the new society on Knowhere.
Not only did Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 mark James Gunn's final production with Marvel Studios, but the film also featured the last ride for the original Guardians team. Drax and Nebula stayed on Knowhere to run the new society, Mantis left to forge her own path, and Peter Quill, a.k.a. Star-Lord, returned to Earth to reunite with his grandfather. However, Rocket, Groot, Kraglin, and Cosmo were joined by Adam Warlock and Phyla to form the new Guardians of the Galaxy team. This team can continue the legacy of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and one potential future team member could carry on Drax the Destroyer's legacy directly.
Guardians of the Galaxy 3 Was Drax's Last MCU Appearance

Prior to the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Dave Bautista confirmed he wouldn't be reprising the role of Drax in the MCU's future. While this led many to speculate that Drax might die during Vol. 3, the film actually ended with his retirement from the team, fulfilling his new position as one of the leaders of Knowhere's new society thanks to his ability to communicate with and entertain the children that were saved from the High Evolutionary's ship. While each member of the original Guardians of the Galaxy saw major developments over the course of their MCU journey, Drax practically remained unchanged.
When he was introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy, Drax had a vendetta against Ronan and Thanos for causing the deaths of his wife and daughter. This called back to Drax in Marvel Comics, who started out as the human Arthur Douglas. Arthur's family was killed during an attack by Thanos, but his soul was placed inside a new body, creating Drax the Destroyer. Unbeknownst to Drax, his daughter, Heather, also survived the attack and went on to become the cosmic hero known as Moondragon. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 could have introduced Moondragon to give Drax part of his family back, but it went a different route.
Adding Moondragon To A New Guardians Team Would Honor Drax

Although she didn't appear during Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the formation of a new team of Guardians in Vol. 3's post-credits scene means that Moondragon could debut in the MCU's future. In Marvel Comics, Heather Douglas was taken in by Thanos' father, Mentor, after the attack on her family, brought to Titan, and trained by the monks of Shao-Lom. The monks' teachings allowed Heather to develop her body to its full potential and tap into her latent psionic abilities. They also trained her to become a master chemist and genetic engineer, so she would be a fantastic asset to the MCU's Guardians of the Galaxy.
Although Drax is still alive in the MCU after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, his presence in the Guardians team will be sorely missed, so introducing Moondragon as a member of the new team would be a brilliant way to honor his legacy as a hero. In Marvel Comics, Moondragon also has ties to Captain Marvel and Phyla-Vell, with whom she strikes up a relationship, and Adam Warlock. Phyla - based on Phyla-Vell - debuted in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, portrayed by MCU newcomer Kai Zen, so this could be a storyline that unfolds in years to come once the character has grown up.
How Moondragon's Origin Can Be Changed To Fit In The MCU

Drax's origin story was changed significantly for the MCU, as there was no word of him originally being human or having a human family, instead being introduced into the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise as an alien being. This suggests that if the MCU's Moondragon is indeed Drax's daughter, her origin story would need to be adapted too. It's possible that she could be introduced as the daughter that Drax thought dead, instead taken into the tutelage of a group such as the Shao-Lom monks. This would allow her backstory to resemble her comic counterpart's closely while still being true to Drax's origins in the MCU.
Future MCU projects could also introduce Moondragon as one of the children that were saved from the High Evolutionary's ship in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Since Drax has stayed behind to act as their father figure, this would create a father-daughter connection between Drax and Moondragon, and this idea has already been applied to Phyla in the MCU's Phase 5. In Marvel Comics, Phyla-Vell is the daughter of Mar-Vell, the original Captain Marvel, but in the MCU, she debuted as one of the High Evolutionary's experiments. It's possible that this could be applied to Moondragon as well, allowing her and Phyla to grow up together, perhaps forming a close bond.
Will Moondragon Be In A Possible Guardians of the Galaxy 4?

There hasn't yet been any confirmation from Marvel Studios that the Guardians of the Galaxy's story will continue, despite Vol. 3's post-credits scenes suggesting that the new team will have a role in the MCU's future and confirming that the "Legendary Star-Lord" will return. James Gunn won't be returning to helm any further MCU projects, but that doesn't mean that a new director can't come in and take over the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. After the success of each prior installment, it wouldn't come as a surprise to see a sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 announced, which could be the perfect place to introduce Moondragon.
With new characters like Adam Warlock and Phyla joining the Guardians of the Galaxy, it would be a shame to miss out on seeing their stories develop in future MCU projects. It's likely the new team will have a part to play in Phase 6's Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, though beyond that, it's currently unclear where they might be seen again. Marvel Studios will surely want to expand the cosmic side of the MCU, so introducing a character such as Moondragon would be a huge stride towards this, especially since the future of the cosmic MCU is uncertain after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
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