The Guardians of the Galaxy have long been among the most beloved characters in the MCU, but their distance from Earth initially made it tough for them to crossover with other heroes. That’s one reason why many fans were ecstatic when Chris Hemsworth’s Thor collided into the windshield of the Benatar in the first act of Avengers: Infinity War.

Throughout the blockbuster event, Thor went on to develop a close bond with the Guardians, most notably Rocket and Groot, as they went on a mission to forge a Thanos-killing weapon. Obviously, that weapon ended up being Stormbreaker, and Groot even offered up his arm for the handle.

Even after Groot was snapped away, Rocket and Thor proceeded to spend plenty of time together in Avengers: Endgame. And when the Battle for Earth was won, the God of Thunder departed the world for a series of cosmic adventures with the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Many were excited about the prospects that could bring, with Asgardians of the Galaxy even being floated about as a theorized title for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Unfortunately, all that amounted to merely a small role for the motley crew in the opening of Thor: Love and Thunder, sending the Guardians off on their own path while the God of Thunder undertook his own adventure.

Still, many have remained hopeful that director James Gunn will reunite Thor and the Guardians of the Galaxy in Vol. 3, but the odds aren’t looking too good.

Chris Hemsworth’s Thor Won’t Be In Guardians of the Galaxy 3

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 director James Gunn shared a disappointing update about Thor’s MCU future in response to a clip from the My Mom’s Basement with Robbie Fox podcast.

During the segment, shared by @bss_clips, podcast guest Clem shared his frustration that Gunn’s short-lived firing from Disney prevented the adventures of Thor and the Guardians of the Galaxy from being explored in Vol. 3, instead being placed into Taika Waititi’s Thor: Love and Thunder​​​​​.

The director responded to the clip on Twitter, sharing that he “[appreciates] the love, but Thor was never going to be in Vol. 3.”

Gunn previously revealed he didn’t have much input on Love and Thunder, but he did consult on the Guardians characters and the two directors exchanged scripts during the process.

Were Thor’s Guardians Adventures Always So Short?

In most cases, the words of an MCU filmmaker can never be trusted, but Gunn has never been one to lie to his followers. He has used cryptically worded teases in the past to avoid revealing surprises, but the director appears to be being honest in confirming Thor’s absence from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

It’s intriguing to hear that the brief escapade of Love and Thunder was always the plan when Thor jetted off into space with the Guardians of the Galaxy in Avengers: Endgame​​​​​​. After all, it seems like a rather nonsensical direction given their minute role in Thor 4 and how small their influence on the story ended up being – would the film really be different if they weren’t there?

That’s not to say Star-Lord and his crew weren’t great in Thor 4, as the direction of Waititi with the influence of Gunn made the team feel perfectly in line with their own adventures. In many ways, Waititi and the Guardians are a match made in heaven, and if, for some reason, anyone but Gunn were to tackle a project with them, the New Zealand director may be the man for the job.

Either way, Waititi and Gunn working together on the Guardians in Love and Thunder should mean the Disney+ Holiday Special closely follows where they left off. And while it may be unfortunate fans won’t get to see the Star-Lord vs. Thor dance-off many were hoping for, there’s no doubt Gunn will have plenty more classic Guardians of the Galaxy action to deliver.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will reunite the team on Disney+ later this year; Vol. 3 hits theaters on May 5, 2023.