He dropped the ball on Gamora and the whole Group of Guardians. This is the first time that it feels less like an ensemble movie and more like "The Space Adventures of Rocket and Quill"
There could have been more elaboration on Peter and Mantis leaving, Nebula staying on Knowhere during the story instead of at the end. Drax's touches of being a Dad to the kids was actually really well done.
Groot didn't really have a character. Not even when his Dad Rocket was dying, he didn't feel like he was active in the story or given time to react at all.
Peter Quill's Arc was halfway decent so he wasn't mentioned. I have doubts that he'll return, but worse things have happened in this franchise. (i mean this as a joke.)
James has gone on record to say "you can just hop in" to Vol 3...but. That's putting new fans over the old ones. That's not fair or satisfying to the people that love these characters and have been following them for these 9 years.
List of Gamoras:
Guardian Gamora who was killed by her abuser in IW to "humanize" him. And then not followed up on. No funeral, no mentions aside from Quill having some very human grief but still unhealthy and Nebula taking a moment.
Gamora from the T'challa Star-Lord What if was just...not mentioned. At all. Only Nebula and Thanos were seen.
Gamora from the What if where she Kills Thanos and takes his armor. She has a Funko Pop...but she's in season 2 in limbo and we don't know anything about her. Also a Gamora that died against Upgraded!Ultron...
Ravager / Feral Gamora, who hitched a ride with the Ravagers in a deleted scene and got her bonding with them off screen. Pulled into a tough situation with her other self, constantly compared. It was a bad spot but Gunn handled it where she kept her choices and understood the Starmora relationship enough to keep in touch with Quill.
James just gave a really good swing at his fursona (i mean this affectionately) 's backstory and writing the end of a chapter of their lives. Adventures can still happen, the Guardian's aren't gone, but...they'll never be the same again.
We're never going to see them at their "peak" between Vol 2 and Infinity War and that's a shame. They were more family than the Avengers ever were. Despite being aliens, they were more human than many other characters in the MCU.
First of all I can't like omfg he is so evil I love it! His entire design turning him into a raccoon tank is iconic and his classic cyborg red eye from the comics is such a nice touch, and a even nicer touch with him having a death laser attached to him like come on! Go watch s2 of what if great show but we get doomsday Rocket.
In season 2 of What If…? there should be an episode called “What If… Morbius was a good movie” but it’s just 30 minutes of Gwen Poole just cyber bullying Jared Leto