As much as fans are excited to finally see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, coming as it does a full six years after the cosmic saga’s second chapter, there’s an element of dread surrounding the project too as we’re fully expecting writer/director James Gunn to leave us sobbing into our popcorn buckets by the time the credits roll. This is it for the Guardians, after all, so an ending that’s at least bittersweet and at most emotionally devastating is likely. And this latest poster only convinces us further of this fact.

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With 3D tickets now on sale ahead of the threequel’s release in a little over a month’s time, Real 3D has dropped a new poster that puts the focus squarely on Rocket. Specifically, Kid Rocket, who does his best Bart Simpson impression by taking to the chalkboard to offer us a heartbreaking message. The stripped-back poster ignores the rest of the team to highlight the young trash panda, who’s writing the phrase “I didn’t ask for any of this.”

It’s n̵o̵t̵ Rocket science. Check out our exclusive artwork for Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, written and directed by @JamesGunn. Only in theatres May 5. #GotGVol3 Get your 3D tickets now: https://t.co/84f8qYoDbv pic.twitter.com/WYMPJYgNRi

— RealD 3D (@RealD3D) April 3, 2023

Gunn has gone so far as to recently announce that Rocket is the “secret protagonist” of the Guardians films, so we probably shouldn’t be surprised that Bradley Cooper’s character will be so integral to the third outing’s story, and therefore, its marketing. In a similar vein, Screen X has likewise released some exclusive artwork to promote Vol. 3, which recaps how Rocket went from an ordinary raccoon to the unique being we know and love.

Check out the @ScreenXUSA exclusive artwork for Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and on May 5, fully immerse into the adventure with story-enhancing exclusive 270-degree panoramic #ScreenX imagery. Only in theaters, See MORE in ScreenX! pic.twitter.com/rA3spOtAGl

— screenxusa (@screenxusa) April 3, 2023

As these posters make clear, Vol. 3 is set to explore Rocket’s origins, as the Guardians encounter the evil High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), the man who made Rocket what he is. Like the adorable Kid Rocket writes on that chalkboard, he never asked to become, what some might consider to be, the freak of nature that is, and it looks like the threequel will unpack a lot of the emotional trauma he’s been carrying around all his life. Yeah, prepare for full-on ugly tears here, people.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 opens in theaters this May 5.

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