The Guardians of the Galaxy are about to have one of their final adventures together in the MCU, and their history to this point has been quite eventful. Beginning with Peter Quill's abduction from Earth as a child, the Guardians of the Galaxy have become major heroes in the cosmos ahead of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. As such, it looks as though they'll all be riding together to face one of their biggest threats yet, one last time.
Prior to their debut in the MCU, the Guardians of the Galaxy were a virtually unknown team of Marvel heroes in mainstream pop culture. Although they still had a talking raccoon and walking tree who only speaks three words, they looked pretty different from the outlaws who first appeared on-screen almost a decade ago. However, the Guardians have since evolved into legitimate heroes on par with Earth's Mightiest Heroes known as the Avengers. Here is the Guardians of the Galaxy's entire history on the MCU timeline thus far.
Peter Quill Picked Up By Ravagers For Ego (1988)
In 1988, 8-year-old Peter Quill is abducted by the extraterrestrial crew of thieves and pirates known as the Ravagers. Raised and trained by Captain Yondu Udonta, Peter wouldn't find out till later that Yondu was hired to collect Quill on behalf of his father, the Celestial being known as Ego. Quill's abduction also happens shortly after the death of his mother Meredith who'd been battling cancer as seen in the first Guardian of the Galaxy movie.
Star-Lord Steals Orb Without Ravagers (2014)
26 years later, Peter Quill decides to leave the Ravagers behind, calling himself Star-Lord the Legendary Outlaw. Upon stealing a valuable orb from the planet Morag, Star-Lord has no idea that the Orb contains the Power Stone, one of the six singularities desired by Thanos who's charged Ronan the Acc with retrieving it in exchange for his help in decimating the planet Xandar. As such, several of Ronan and Thanos' agents are dispatched including Gamora, one of the adopted Daughters of Thanos. However, both Star-Lord and Gamora are arrested by the Nova Corps along with bounty hunters Rocket and Groot who tried to capture Quill for the reward money.
The Guardians Form And Break Out Of The Kyln (2014)
Following their imprisonment in the Kyln, Star-Lord, Gamora, Rocket, and Groot forces with Drax the Destroyer to deliver the orb to Gamora's buyer The Collector as she's decided to betray Thanos. Agreeing to split the reward, the new team breaks out of the prison and head to Knowhere to deliver the orb where they discover its true nature as the Power Stone. However, both Ronan and the Ravagers converge on the outlaws, resulting in the Peter and Gamora getting captured by Yondu with Rocket and Groot not far behind with Drax who nearly died in his attempt to kill Ronan on his own.
The Guardians of the Galaxy And Ravagers Unite Against Ronan (2014 or 2015)
Star-Lord manages to convince the Ravagers to help the Nova Corps fight back against Ronan who claimed the Power Stone on Knowhere, having decided to keep it to conquer Xandar without Thanos. As such, the first movie ends with Star-Lord and his new friends officially coming together as the Guardians of the Galaxy, uniting to defeat Ronan using the Power Stone itself. In the aftermath of this first adventure, the team decides to stick together to do both good and bad in the galaxy.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Become Enemies Of The Sovereign (2014 or 2015)
Only a few months later, the Guardians take a job for the Sovereign at the beginning Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, though Rocket angers the genetically engineered race after he steals from them. Sending their entire fleet to destroy the Guardians, the band of outlaws would not have survived the Sovereign's pursuit were it not for an unlikely stranger who destroys the fleet with a single blast. It's also worth noting that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3. will feature Adam Warlock, a creation of the Sovereign's High Priestess Ayesha who was made to seek revenge against the Guardians.
Star-Lord Meets His Father Ego (2014 or 2015)
After crash-landing on the planet Berhert, the Guardians come face-to-face with the stranger who reveals himself to be Ego, Star-Lord's father. Inviting them to his world, Peter, Drax, and Gamora go with Ego and his attendant Mantis while Rocket and Groot stay to repair the ship and watch Nebula, Thanos' other daughter whom they captured before angering the Sovereign. While Star-Lord bonds with his father, Rocket and Groot are captured by the Ravagers who mutiny against Yondu after he was unwilling to take on the Guardians.
Eventually, Yondu, Rocket, and Groot break free and defeat the Ravagers with help from Kraglin who remained loyal. Knowing Ego's true nature, Yondu and company immediately head for Ego's world to save the other Guardians. Meanwhile, Nebula was already headed for Ego after the Ravagers freed her as she sought to fight Gamora. However, the two sisters begin reconciling their rivalry which had been forced upon them by Thanos.
Star-Lord And The Guardians Battle Ego (2014 or 2015)
Ultimately, Ego reveals to Peter that he had romances on countless worlds beyond Earth and Star-Lord's mother and had far more offspring than just Peter. Seeking to make the entire universe an extension of himself, Ego its he put the tumor in Meredith's head so he wouldn't stay on Earth and forsake his conquest. Immediately, Star-Lord turns on his father for killing his mother. With help from his fellow Guardians and Yondu whom he realizes was his true loving father all along, Star-Lord sacrifices his power to defeat Ego. However, it also cost Yondu who gave his life to save Peter.
The Guardians Meet Thor And Split Up (2018)
Following a few years guarding the galaxy, Avengers: Infinity War sees the Guardians discovering Thor after Thanos' attack on the Asgardians who were seeking a new home following Asgard's destruction in Thor: Ragnarok. Agreeing to Thor in his quest to build a new weapon capable of killing Thanos, Rocket and Groot accompany the God of Thunder while Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, and Mantis go after the Reality Stone on Knowhere. There they face Thanos who captures and later sacrifices Gamora to gain the Soul Stone on the planet Vormir.
Star-Lord, Drax, Mantis, and eventually Nebula Iron Man, Doctor Strange, and Spider-Man on Titan to battle Thanos for the Time Stone in the Sorcerer Supreme's possession. Meanwhile, Rocket and Groot successfully help Thor forge Stormbreaker before the trio enters the Battle of Wakanda, ing the Avengers who are seeking to protect Vision and the Mind Stone. However, Thanos emerges victorious, gaining the Time Stone before traveling to Earth and securing the Mind Stone. With all the Infinity Stones claimed, the Mad Titan snaps his fingers and erases half of all life in the universe.
Rocket and Nebula Are Only Surviving Guardians After Infinity War (2018)
Following Thanos' Decimation, Rocket and Nebula are the only Guardians left in 2018 who hadn't been erased from existence. After Iron Man and Nebula were rescued by Captain Marvel, the surviving Guardians the Avengers in their attempt to get the Stones back from Thanos to reverse his atrocity. However, the Mad Titan reveals he used the Stones to destroy the Stones before Thor murders him, seemingly making this actions permanent.
Guardians of the Galaxy Brought Back In Avengers: Endgame (2023)
Five years later in Avengers: Endgame, Rocket and Nebula work with the Avengers to formulate a plan to go back in time and gather the Infinity Stones before returning to the present to bring back everyone they lost. Following the success of their incredibly risky mission, the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy are brought back along with the half of all life Thanos had erased. As such, the Guardians the final battle as Avengers to face Thanos and his army who came from 2014 after the Mad Titan learned of the Avengers' plan to undo his future self's work.
While the cosmic team of heroes still lost their Gamora, the version from 2014 who came with Thanos and similarly betrayed him remained in the present. However, this Gamora has none of the same history with the team, least of all her romance with Star-Lord. As such, she heads off on her own following the Battle of Earth, hence her absence at Tony Stark's funeral.
Thor s (Then Leaves) The Guardians of the Galaxy (2023-2024)
At the end of Avengers: Endgame, Thor decides to leave with the Guardians in order to find himself out in the cosmos. This is continued with the montage seen in Thor: Love and Thunder where Thor is seen having a handful of adventures with the team throughout the rest of 2023 before they eventually part ways sometime later in 2024. However, it's worth noting this is an informed estimation based upon what's known about Thor: Love and Thunder and the MCU timeline at large.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Kidnap Kevin Bacon (2025)
About a year later at the end of 2025, the Guardians of the Galaxy decide to surprise Star-Lord with a Christmas celebration as seen in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. Full of good intentions, Drax and Mantis kidnap actor Kevin Bacon on Earth as a gift for Peter. Despite his natural trauma, Bacon eventually agrees to the Christmas festivities on Knowhere before he's returned home. Additionally, Mantis reveals to Peter that she too is a child of Ego, making her Peter's sister in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise.
