Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: 12 Biggest Changes Made From The Marvel Comics

:0:1

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 made several changes to the Marvel Comics source material when bringing the cosmic team's final adventure to the MCU's Phase 5. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 released on May 5, 2023, marking the return of Chris Pratt, Karen Gillan, Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff, Bradley Cooper, and Vin Diesel as the primary Guardians team, as well as Zoe Saldaña as Gamora, now a member of the Ravagers. As the original Guardians of the Galaxy team's final story in the MCU, Vol. 3 saw them head out to save Rocket's life and defeat the menacing High Evolutionary.
Like with any other project in the MCU, Marvel Studios took inspiration from the pages of Marvel Comics, though they haven't always stayed faithful to the comics' storylines. 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy adapted the stories of Marvel Comics' 2008 version of the cosmic team, but James Gunn's MCU franchise made several changes too, and this continued in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. New characters introduced in the Phase 5 film are vastly different from their comic counterparts, and several backstories have been changed significantly too, allowing Marvel Studios to give a satisfying conclusion to the MCU's Guardians of the Galaxy.
12 The High Evolutionary Is An Alien, Not From Earth

One of the most exciting additions to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's roster was Chukwudi Iwuji as the MCU's High Evolutionary. During the film, it's confirmed that the High Evolutionary is an alien being of unknown origin, but it's his goal of evolving all life to create the "perfect society" that makes him so terrifying. In Marvel Comics, the supervillain actually originated on Earth, beginning as a human genetic scientist by the name of Herbert Edgar Wyndham. It's unclear what this change means for his future in the MCU, but since the High Evolutionary survived Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, it's likely he'll return at some point.
11 Phyla & Adam Warlock Weren't Founding Members Of The Guardians Of The Galaxy

In the wake of 2007's Annihilation: Conquest storyline in Marvel Comics, Peter Quill, a.k.a. Star-Lord, realized the galaxy needed protection, so brought together the Guardians of the Galaxy. While much of the comics' original line-up mirrors Guardians of the Galaxy's version of the team, featuring Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, and even Mantis, two members of Marvel Comics' team were missing from the MCU until Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The film introduced Will Poulter and Kai Zen as Adam Warlock and Phyla, respectively, two original members of the comics' team who only joined the MCU's Guardians in Vol. 3's mid-credits scene.
10 Rocket Was Created By The High Evolutionary

Whereas the first two Guardians of the Galaxy projects focused on the titular team saving the galaxy itself from huge threats, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 saw the team head out to save one of their own. James Gunn focused on Rocket during Vol. 3, having the Guardians save his life in the present while flashbacks explored his hidden backstory. This revealed that Rocket had actually been enhanced by the High Evolutionary, changing his Marvel Comics backstory drastically. In the comics, Rocket is from Halfworld, a planet where the animal companions of the mentally ill were enhanced to act as better caretakers - a vast difference from his MCU origins.
9 Adam Warlock's MCU Origins Are Very Different

Much like Rocket, Adam Warlock's origin story was also massively changed for the live-action MCU. Warlock was first teased back in one of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2's post-credits scenes, revealed to have been created by the Sovereign as a weapon to seek revenge on the Guardians. Vol. 3 expanded on this, revealing that the High Evolutionary had in fact created the Sovereign, and sanctioned the creation of Adam. In Marvel Comics, Adam was created on Earth by a group called the Enclave as the next step in human evolution. He did have dealings with the High Evolutionary, who rechristened Adam as the Warlock and gifted him the Soul Gem.
8 Drax & Mantis Don't Have Human Backstories In The MCU

Similarly, Drax the Destroyer and Mantis' Marvel Comics backstories were also neglected in the MCU. In Marvel Comics, both characters actually started out as human. Drax was formerly known as Arthur Douglas, a man who was killed by Thanos along with his family, but had his soul placed inside a new body, creating Drax the Destroyer. Mantis was the half-Vietnamese, half-German daughter of Gustav Klimt, the villain known as Libra, and was a hugely important character in Kang the Conqueror's Marvel Comics story. Both were founding members of 2008's Guardians of the Galaxy, but their rich backstories in Marvel Comics were completely lost in the MCU.
7 Gamora Joined The Ravagers

While part of Gamora's MCU backstory mirrors that of her Marvel Comics origins, as she was adopted and raised by Thanos in both, and she did join the Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Infinity War saw Gamora sacrificed to allow her father to acquire the Soul Stone. Avengers: Endgame then introduced a version of Gamora in the MCU who had never met the Guardians of the Galaxy, meaning Vol. 3 displayed a very different version of the character than audiences were familiar with - revealed to have joined the Ravagers. Gamora never joined the Ravagers in Marvel Comics, in fact, the pirate group didn't even debut in Marvel Comics until 2015.
6 Adam Warlock Wasn't Introduced To Marvel Comics As A Villain

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 saw Will Poulter burst onto the scene as Adam Warlock, with his first scene confirming that he was a minor antagonist in the film, as he attacked the Guardians of the Galaxy and left Rocket in critical condition. Although Marvel Comics' Adam Warlock did feature as a villain - when his evil future self, the Magus, appeared, and he had a spar with Thor after rebelling against his creators - he wasn't introduced into the comics as a villain, but as one of Marvel's most powerful heroes, helping the High Evolutionary to save Counter-Earth, and taking on the Universal Church of Truth.
5 Star-Lord's Family Looks Very Different In Marvel Comics

Among the most major origin stories that were changed for the MCU is Peter Quill's. In Marvel Comics, Star-Lord is the son of the human Meredith Quill, and J'Son, the King of Spartax. In the MCU, Peter's father was revealed to be Ego, a Celestial portrayed by Kurt Russell in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. This heightened Star-Lord's power level, as the son of a Celestial, he would have been almost all-powerful if Ego's "light" had survived. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 sees Peter coming to terms with his family history, and eventually reuniting with his grandfather on Earth, but this is still a huge change from the comics.
4 Kraglin Piloted Knowhere In Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3

Knowhere is one of the most unusual locations in the Marvel Universe - the severed head of an ancient Celestial, in which a society has formed. Knowhere also forms the headquarters of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and Vol. 3 put a lot more emphasis on the fact that Knowhere is now the Guardians' home, seemingly being run by Sean Gunn's Kraglin and Maria Bakalova's Cosmo. Whereas Knowhere doesn't move from its piece of space in Marvel Comics, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 saw Kraglin pilot the entire head to aid the Guardians in battle against the High Evolutionary, marking a massive change for the severed head in the MCU.
3 MCU's Adam Warlock Doesn't Have The Soul Stone

In Marvel Comics, Adam Warlock is gifted the Soul Gem by the High Evolutionary, allowing him to capture the souls of other beings, and enabling him access to the Soul Realm. Over the years, Warlock and the Soul Stone became synonymous, with the hero playing a major role in Marvel Comics' Infinity Wars storylines. However, in the MCU, the Soul Stone was destroyed with the other Infinity Stones in Avengers: Endgame, so while Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's Adam Warlock does have some sort of gem on his head, it's not the Soul Stone - which is perhaps one of the biggest changes to his character in the MCU.
2 Phyla Isn't The Daughter Of Captain Marvel

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 briefly introduced a character known as Phyla to the MCU, portrayed by Kai Zen. Though she's seen throughout the film, Vol. 3's mid-credits scene actually names her and begins to show off her powers - as her fists begin to glow. It seems as though she's adapted from Marvel Comics' Phyla-Vell, a supremely powerful character who adopts the monikers of Quasar, Martyr, and even Captain Marvel, but it's her origin story that's been changed most drastically. In the comics, Phyla-Vell is the daughter of the original Captain Marvel, a.k.a. Mar-Vell, though it seems she's an experiment of the High Evolutionary in the MCU.
1 Star-Lord Left The Guardians Of The Galaxy In Vol. 3

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ended with the disbanding of the team, with Nebula and Drax running the society on Knowhere, Mantis heading off to discover herself, Gamora returning to the Ravagers, and Peter Quill returning to Earth. While this was a fitting end to the team's story, it was a major divergence from their Marvel Comics roots, particularly in the case of Star-Lord, who has been the regular leader of the team, and still is. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 paved the way for Rocket to lead the next Guardians team, so while Star-Lord will return in the MCU's future, it won't be as a Guardian.
Key Release Dates