James Gunn Has Bad News For Yondu Fans
While the "Guardians of the Galaxy" films have been filled with colorful, memorable characters thus far across two films, perhaps no character enjoyed more recognition than Yondu Udonta (Michael Rooker). Yondu had something of a contentious relationship with protagonist Peter Quill aka Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), whom he abducted as a child. The alien outlaw enjoys something of a complex character arc throughout both films, culminating in his death in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," after he sacrifices himself for Peter.
While Yondu isn't exactly a core member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, he does serve as a father figure for Peter, and Gunn's decision to kill him off is one of the more heartbreaking moments from the first two films in the sub-franchise. In fact, while it's a beautiful moment, fans have often wondered if Yondu could come back to life, and how that might happen.
Director James Gunn has shot these theories down in the past, promising that Yondu will stay dead in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, now that the Disney+ show "Loki" has opened up the MCU to the multiverse, it would be easy to assume that any dead character could eventually return or that Gunn would change his mind.
James Gunn says Yondu will stay dead as long as he's around
Over on his Twitter, James Gunn confirmed once again that, as long as he's in charge of "Guardians of the Galaxy," Yondu will stay dead. "As I've said many times before, as long as I'm a part of the Guardians, Yondu is dead, 100%, forever, no magic resurrections," Gunn posted. "Any other way would be belittling his sacrifice and what his story means to so many people." This is pretty much exactly what Gunn has said before, and it seems like he will remain firm on the point, even as the introduction of the multiverse opens literally infinite narrative doors.
It's not exactly surprising, either. Yondu's death in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" is a pivotal moment not only for Yondu's arc, but for Peter, who tearfully accepts how much Yondu means to him. While having the character come back to life might be satisfying in the short term, it would definitely undo Yondu's sacrifice just a bit. That doesn't, however, mean that the character will never be seen again in live-action form. Gunn likely won't be attached to the property forever, so who knows what potential future filmmakers will bring to the table.