How Eternals Could Tie Into Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Chloe Zhao’s Eternals has finally arrived in theaters and with it, has brought what appears to be a handful of teases for future projects within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That includes a nod to a pair of characters that may end up showing up in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, including one that has a direct tie to those already confirmed to appear to the James Gunn flick.

We’re going full Eternals spoilers for this one, including breaking down the film’s massive post-credits scenes. You’ve been warned.

If you’ve been on social media the past few weeks, you likely know by now that Pip the Troll has arrived in the MCU. The beloved cosmic character—voiced by the beloved Patton Oswalt, nonetheless—pops up in a post-credit scene, teleporting out of thin air ahead of Eros, codename Starfox, played by Harry Styles. While Starfox is a major introduction in his own right, it’s Pip’s debut that ties into Guardians.

Created by Jim Starlin, Pip first appeared in Strange Tales #179 alongside Adam Warlock and Gamora. We know Gamora’s been a central part of the Guardians film franchise for two movies now, and Adam Warlock will soon make his debut as he’ll be played by Will Poulter. Throughout the years, Pip’s been heavily involved on the cosmic side of things, more so with the Guardians and Warlock than with the Eternals. But it’s not that reason alone why the character might pop up in Vol. 3.

As some have noticed while watching, the level of CGI involved with Pip doesn’t necessarily match that from the rest of the movie. While bits like Arishem and the rest of the Celestials are well-rendered and full of textures, Pip’s model might be considered by some to be a bit rough around the edges. It’s likely Pip’s been a part of the script for quite some time, but it’s possible the character’s set to appear somewhere else and a change was needed in his design or modeling.

Coincidentally enough, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to begin filming any day now, and if James Gunn chose to use the character in the threequel, it stands to reason he and his team may have introduced a new character design into the mix. If that’s the case, perhaps those behind Eternals caught it in time—but, perhaps, not enough to really refine—and were able to crank out a new model that will match that of Vol. 3‘s iteration of the character.

Eternals is now in theaters while Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is due to hit theaters May 5, 2023. I Am Groot and the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special have yet to receive release dates.

What members of the Guardians would you like to see spin-off shows of? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting our writer @AdamBarnhardt up on Twitter to chat all things MCU!