‘Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2’ Post-Credit Scenes Explained — All Five Snippets Covered [Spoilers]

So, you’ve seen the new Guardians of the Galaxy, and you’ve watched all five scenes that happen during and after the credits. And now, you’re wondering what, if anything, they all mean? Well, some of them are just cute snippets of what’s happening after the movie ended, but some are also very important to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Yes, there is a Volume 3 of the adventures of Peter Quill, Gamora, Groot, Rocket, and Drax. So, here’s what they meant. Also, consider this as your spoiler warning. If you haven’t seen the movie, there are some huge spoilers ahead: not just for the credits scenes themselves, but also the entire movie.

Scene One – Yaka Arrows and Drax

The first scene shows Kraglin, the Ravager who is played by Sean Gunn (who is also the brother of the Guardians director, Peter Gunn). Kraglin is wearing Yondu’s head fin and whistling and trying to control the yaka arrow that was given to him by Peter. Of course, the arrow came into Peter’s possession after Yondu sacrificed himself to save Peter. Kraglin may be having a little trouble controlling the arrow, because according to Yondu, the secret to controlling it lies not just in the whistling, but also in the heart. The final shot shows that Kraglin whistles that arrow so that it speeds off and lands in Drax. Cue slow shuffling exit stage left.

Why is this scene important? People may dismiss it as just a bit of post-plot humor, but there are rumors based on photos of Sean Gunn — that Kraglin actually will appear in Avengers: Infinity Wars. Additionally, Kraglin may have a larger role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as he takes over the Ravagers, so this scene sets up any talent he may display in that upcoming film.

Scene Two – Stakar Ogord and the Original Guardians

The second scene is of Sylvester Stallone in his role as Stakar Ogord. While the movie doesn’t delve into much of his story, having him in there was a neat Easter egg for comic fans. Stakar is talking to four leaders of the Ravagers and looking to continue Yondu’s path of greed and avarice in the galaxy. The four people he was talking to are also a huge Easter egg and treat for fans. In the center is Charlie-27 (Ving Rhames), towering over the others. To the right is Martinex (Michael Rosenbaum), and on the floor is Aleta (Michelle Yoh).

Together, the four were part of the original Guardians of the Galaxy in the first comic book run in the 1960s. Also, Aleta and Stakar were fused together at one point after awakening a Hawk God. Stakar got to be Starhawk, a super-strong flying hero. While Stakar was active, Aleta was forced into limbo, and vice-versa. Aleta has the powers to manipulate light and form solid objects with it. She can fly on solid discs made of light and also phase through solid matter.

Also present in the scene are Mainframe (voiced by Miley Cyrus) and Krugarr, the red ear-finned guy to the left. Krugarr demonstrated proficiency with the mystic arts, with some glowing magic that looked a lot like things shown in Doctor Strange. That’s intentional, because in the comics, Krugarr became the Sorcerer Supreme after Stephen Strange.

The scene introduced these guys to possibly have them feature in new upcoming Guardians movie.

Scene Three – Enter the Warlock

This scene is perhaps the most important for continuity in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This one shows the big bad of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Ayesha, as she contemplates her future and something she hopes will bring about the end of the Guardians. A big golden birthing pod is shown, and inside is someone or something she calls “Adam.” Now everyone who knows comic book lore and especially the Silver Age knows that this presages the appearance of Adam Warlock.

Adam was originally supposed to appear in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but director James Gunn decided that there were already too many characters in the film. So, he pulled him from the script and is saving him for a future appearance. This is also very interesting for comic fans because in the original Infinity Gauntlet arc, Adam Warlock entrusts the gems to a new team called the Infinity Watch, which included, among others, Drax and Gamora. So, could this be where the next volume of the Guardians story takes us? It’s already confirmed that the Guardians will be in Infinity War, so it’s not too far-fetched to see them become the Infinity Watch. Although, if Rocket gets a gem, that would be comic fodder of infinite proportions.

Scene Four – I am Groot (You Don’t Understand!)

This scene is pretty much amusing, but also serves to show how fast Groot is aging. After all, at the end of the first Guardians, he was a sproutling. In this one, he’s a baby. Now, in the mid-credits scene, Groot has become an angsty teen sapling. So, it’s not inconceivable that Vol. 3 will see Groot at least as a young adult and more able to carry his weight.

Although, watching Peter scold teen Groot about his messy room and sighing about how he knows how Yondu felt is still pretty funny.

Scene Five – I am Uatu

This one is Peter Gunn paying homage to one of the biggest fan theories on the internet when it comes to Marvel movies. After all, Stan Lee makes a cameo in every single one, right? So, how can he do that? Simple — he’s actually a member of the giant bald-headed race known as the Watchers. More specifically, he’s the Watcher assigned to watch over Earth, known as Uatu. The Watchers are a race of supremely powerful beings that have made a vow of non-interference with other races. They simply…watch.

Seeing him sitting with another three Watchers, telling the tale of the time he was a Fed-Ex guy delivering packages (“Are you…Tony…Stank?”), only reinforces the theory. Of course, it was while Rocket and Yondu are bouncing through other dimensions, so this might not be strict canon. However, if it is…

That opens up the realm of one-shot Marvel movies that explore alternate realities where things played out differently. In the comic world, they are called What-If, and they explore things like what if Steve Rogers hadn’t been frozen for years? Or what if someone else had gotten Spider-Man’s powers? It probably won’t happen, but it opens up a huge avenue for Marvel and their future cinematic endeavors. After all, Howard the Duck came back in Vol. 2; if that happened, anything is possible.

[Featured Image by Ian Gavan/Getty Images]