The Guardians of the Galaxy play a role in important modern storylines like Secret Wars and Annihilation, which are both destined for the screen. Though the Guardians likely evolve in the MCU from their current form, big events lead to regular roster changes in the comics, and the same probably holds for the live-action crew.

Secret Wars

Secret Wars caps The Multiverse Saga in the MCU, and the Guardians will certainly play some role. Star-Lord survives the multiverse's collapse in the 2015 crossover, perhaps modern Marvel Comics' most important event, and helps to restore it along with other heroes, making this an essential Guardians comic book storyline.

Star-Lord survives by ing Reed Richards, Spider-Man, and others aboard a life raft that preserves them during the final incursion between Earth-616 and 1610. This concept likely makes it to live-action as incursions themselves have, introduced in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

The Trial Of Jean Grey

The Guardians share some comic connections with the X-Men that make for intriguing MCU possibilities, and one likely intersection comes in The Trial of Jean Grey. A young Jean Grey stands trial for her older variant's crimes as the Dark Phoenix and the Guardians intervene, leading to an epic storyline that weaves in many characters and ideas.

This crossover event plays out in Guardians of the Galaxy #11-13 and All-New X-Men #22-24, and it sets up some plot dynamics between the two teams that lead to equally compelling storylines later on.

Realm Of Kings

Realm Of Kings brings together the modern team MCU fans know and love and the original comic book team from the 31st century in a time-spanning storyline brimming with interesting characters and concepts. It also pays off the 2008 reimagining of the team by writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning and artist Brad Walker in a suitably cosmic fashion.

Comic book fans know the Guardians of the Galaxy originally shared no direct connection to the mainstream Marvel Universe but later crossed over. The storyline introduces the Council of the Guardians of All Galaxies, an interstellar group that could emerge in the MCU through the multiverse.

Fighting The Badoon

The original Guardians of the Galaxy debuted in Marvel Super-Heroes #18 in 1969. This team existed in an alternate future and fought against the alien Badoon, a reptilian race that ravaged countless planets. This epic struggle formed the foundation for the team's earliest adventures and may inform their live-action future.

The initial Guardians included Vance Astro, Martinex T'Naga, Captain Charlie-27, and Yondu Udonta. These characters appeared in the MCU in cameos and may get more attention in the future.

Guardians 3000

The modern Guardians team supplanted the original, but in 2014, the first squad returned in their own ongoing series. Guardians 3000 gives the original 31st-century team their best showcase in years. This run mostly keeps the team intact with some changes, including Starhawk becoming a woman.

The original Guardians exist in the MCU's present, so a trip to the 31st century may not occur in live-action. Nevertheless, this series presents several great moments and stories for the MCU to build off if it explores the first team.

Quest For The Shield

The original Guardians starred in their first ongoing title throughout the 1990s. Quest for the Shield arguably represents the best story to emerge from this period. The team discovers Captain America's long-lost shield in the far future, which Doctor Doom had propelled into space so that other heroes couldn't use it against him.

Vance Astro takes up the shield, and Captain America's principles. This leads the character down a fascinating path that explores not only his future but Marvel's present-day icons' true legacy.

The Thanos Imperative

Thanos ranks with the most powerful cosmic beings in the Marvel Universe and The Thanos Imperative shows why. It also offers another dimension to Thanos as the team s forces with him in order to tackle a greater threat. When an incursion threatens Earth-616 with the Cancerverse, the team enlists Thanos to create death in a universe where it doesn't exist.

This dark storyline includes epic action and challenging choices and also provides some inspiration for the MCU's future, especially as incursions become a factor in The Multiverse Saga.

The Black Vortex

Comic book fans know Kitty Pryde loves science and technology, and she brings that love to her time with the Guardians of the Galaxy. She plays a significant role in The Black Vortex, a cosmic comic storyline involving the Guardians and the X-Men as they both try to contain an unimaginably powerful weapon from falling into the wrong hands.

Kitty, already among the most powerful X-Men, gains cosmic power and achieves her greatest power potential in the multiverse, something the MCU likely touches on with her character eventually.

Wanted

Kitty Pryde ultimately takes over the team in Wanted, a fun storyline that jumbles the line-up in big ways. With the MCU Guardians roster destined to change, this storyline presents numerous possibilities for live-action. Many new characters up, including Angela, Thor's long-lost sister and a great Thor comic book character not yet in the MCU.

This storyline also revisits the Badoon, the alien race that plagued the original Guardians of the Galaxy in so many comic book storylines, and may appear in live-action at some point soon.

The Korvac Saga

The original Guardians team intersected with Earth-616 in The Korvac Saga, a classic Avengers comic book storyline, and became a vital part of the Marvel Universe proper as a result.

The Guardians help the Avengers fight Korvac, a powerful cosmic villain who may appear in live-action someday. Their experience in this storyline, running in The Avengers #167–177 in the 1970s, led to further adventures in Earth-616's present day.