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what happened before guardians of the galaxy 3

Before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, a lot happened to the team across several MCU movies and specials. Here’s a clear, story-style catch‑up so Vol. 3 makes sense.

What Happened Before Guardians of the Galaxy 3?

Big Picture: Where the Guardians Are At

By the time Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 starts, the team has:

  • Lost the original Gamora (killed in Infinity War).
  • Gained a “new” Gamora from 2014 who doesn’t remember loving Peter or being a Guardian.
  • Helped defeat Thanos and saved half the universe.
  • Drifted around with Thor for a bit after Endgame before going back to doing their own thing.
  • Settled on Knowhere as their new base and are working as semi-official protectors.

Peter Quill is emotionally wrecked, drunk, and still grieving Gamora when Vol. 3 begins.

Step‑by‑Step Timeline Before Vol. 3

1. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

  • Peter Quill (Star‑Lord) is abducted from Earth as a child and grows up with the Ravagers.
  • He meets Gamora, Rocket, Groot, and Drax when they all clash over a mysterious Orb that turns out to be a Power Infinity Stone.
  • They unite to stop Ronan the Accuser from using the Stone to destroy Xandar.
  • Groot sacrifices himself to save the team; Rocket replants a twig that grows into Baby Groot.
  • The group officially becomes the “Guardians of the Galaxy.”

2. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

  • The Guardians work as mercenaries and take a job for the Sovereign, a golden, genetically engineered race.
  • They anger the Sovereign, whose High Priestess Ayesha starts to view them as enemies and begins creating Adam Warlock (who will attack them in Vol. 3).
  • Peter meets his father Ego, a powerful Celestial who turns out to be a manipulative villain trying to reshape the universe.
  • The Guardians and Yondu sacrifice everything to destroy Ego; Yondu dies saving Peter.
  • Nebula begins to soften, moving from villain to uneasy ally, and hints of her and Gamora’s changing relationship deepen.

Ayesha’s hatred of the Guardians and creation of Adam Warlock are key seeds for Vol. 3’s opening attack.

3. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

  • The Guardians run into Thor, who warns them about Thanos collecting the Infinity Stones.
  • Gamora is captured by Thanos, her adoptive father, who needs her to find the Soul Stone.
  • Thanos kills Gamora on Vormir to obtain the Soul Stone — this is the original Gamora’s death.
  • The Guardians on Titan (Peter, Drax, Mantis, part of the crew) help fight Thanos but fail.
  • Thanos snaps his fingers and wipes out half of all life. Star‑Lord, Drax, Mantis, and Groot are dusted; only Rocket and Nebula survive from the main team.

Gamora’s death and the snap are huge emotional and story drivers leading into Vol. 3.

4. Avengers: Endgame (2019)

  • Five years pass. Rocket works with the Avengers; Nebula also becomes a core ally.
  • The Avengers time‑travel to fix the snap, which brings a 2014 version of Gamora forward into the present timeline. This Gamora has never met Peter and was still working for Thanos.
  • Thanos and his army attack the Avengers’ compound, leading to the final massive battle. All snapped heroes, including the Guardians, return.
  • After Thanos is defeated, Peter tries to reconnect with this 2014 Gamora, but she wants nothing to do with him and disappears.

So heading into their next adventures, the team has a Gamora who is technically alive but emotionally a stranger.

5. Thor: Love and Thunder (early post‑Endgame period)

  • The Guardians travel with Thor, answering distress calls and fighting small‑scale threats around the galaxy.
  • Thor is clearly in mid‑life crisis; the Guardians are basically his backup until he parts ways with them early in the film.
  • After splitting from Thor, the Guardians go back to their usual work: mercenary heroes, taking jobs, trying to keep the chaos of the galaxy in check.

This phase shows the team functioning but not fully healed from the loss of Gamora and the trauma of Thanos.

6. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (Disney+)

  • The Guardians have purchased and are rebuilding Knowhere, the giant severed Celestial head, as a kind of home base / community hub.
  • Peter is visibly depressed and still deeply grieving Gamora’s death, which weighs on the entire team.
  • Mantis reveals she is Ego’s daughter and thus Peter’s half‑sister, which strengthens their bond.
  • The team tries to cheer Peter up with a wild Earth‑style Christmas surprise.

By the end of the special, they’re more of a found family than ever, but Peter’s emotional wounds are very much still open.

How This All Sets Up Vol. 3

Going into Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 :

  • The Guardians are living and working out of Knowhere, basically acting as its protectors and local heroes.
  • Peter is still heartbroken over Gamora and drinks to cope, which leaves him vulnerable and off his game.
  • Ayesha’s grudge and Adam Warlock’s creation from Vol. 2 finally come to a head when Adam attacks the team at the very start of Vol. 3.
  • Rocket’s dark, secret past with the High Evolutionary and Orgocorp — barely hinted at before — becomes the emotional core of the story.
  • The presence of the 2014 Gamora, now running with the Ravagers instead of the Guardians, forces everyone (especially Peter) to confront how much they’ve changed and what “family” really means.

All of that is the emotional and plot “load‑in” to the events you see explode in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.