After having last been seen in Avengers: Infinity War, Taneleer Tivan/The Collector‘s status in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was unknown. Now, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 director James Gunn has revealed the character’s fate.
Was The Collector killed by Thanos?
A Twitter user asked Gunn if The Collector survived Thanos‘ attack on Knowhere that occurred in Avengers: Infinity War. This was prompted by Nebula saying that the Guardians bought Knowhere off of Tivan in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.
James Gunn replied to the question with a simple, “yes,” confirming that The Collector was not killed by Thanos. Outside of Infinity War, the character’s most recent appearance was technically in Marvel’s What If…?, where an alternate version of Tivan battled T’Challa using a variety of items taken from other Marvel characters.
“In the film, our beloved band of misfits are looking a bit different these days,” reads the Marvel Cinematic Universe sequel’s synopsis. “Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him to defend the universe along with protecting one of their own. A mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.”
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was directed by James Gunn and was released in theaters on May 5. The sequel heavily features the backstory of Rocket — the armed and snarky raccoon voiced by Bradley Cooper — and his history with the film’s villain, The High Evolutionary (played by Chukwudi Iwuji). Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is now playing in theaters.
