After a long wait, production on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to begin later this year, which already has fans of the franchise celebrating. Even though the film will not be hitting theaters for another two years, which would put a gap of six years between the upcoming film and the second installment, the hype is unprecedented for what could perhaps be the final chapter. Many fans believe it will be Marvel's best third movie in any franchise so far.
Several other franchises in the MCU already have three installments, including Iron Man, Captain America, and even Thor. But, the biggest third installment in MCU history is Avengers: Infinity War. It is one of only two MCU films to earn more than $2 billion globally, which quite honestly is not surprising. The film premiered a decade after the MCU’s inception and ten years worth of movies led up to the grand event occurring in Infinity War. After keeping fans waiting for that long they were bound to arrive in droves to see how the journey ends. The Guardians franchise may not have the same level of suspense, but can its third film be on par with delivering a satisfactory conclusion (if not box office earnings)? Its followers seem to think so.
The first Guardians of the Galaxy film released in 2014 and it went on to become one of the biggest MCU films. Before its release, the film was considered a big gamble for Marvel Studios and since its premiere, it was considered an underdog. Before the movie was released, many hadn’t even heard of the Guardians. While the comic readers were aware of their powers and unique quirks, MCU fans were exploring a whole new galaxy. The team didn’t have the same mass appeal as some of the bigger names in the MCU, such as Iron Man or Captain America, so it would have been tough co-existing with them in the same universe.
However, the first film in the franchise made $773 million globally, which was more than what 2008’s Iron Man and 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger had made. The movie’s success was a huge surprise for a lot of people involved in the project, including writer-director James Gunn. Even though he was confident that the film would be appreciated by the audiences, he didn’t expect it to become a blockbuster, especially as it had released on August 1, which isn’t traditionally considered a big weekend for summer films.
The second film in the series, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, was an even bigger success than its predecessor and went on to earn $863 million worldwide. The films and characters received a lot of praise from MCU fans and it seemed like the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise had something to offer for everyone. The older audiences fell in love with the films' soundtracks, while the younger folks became immediate fans of the witty one-liners and silly jokes scattered all over the films.
Not only were the Guardians movies huge hits, they set a new trend for the MCU. Suddenly comedy was a more widely accepted genre in the universe, and future MCU films started adapting a similar theme of humor. A bunch of heroes who were previously unknown had suddenly become huge stars, which meant that Marvel could bring in more names to the universe moving forward. Up until that point, MCU fans had only met a handful of heroes, which eventually got together to form the Avengers. The first Avengers film rode the popularity wave of previous MCU films, but Guardians of the Galaxy stood on its own.
A large part of the success was obviously credited to writer-director Gunn, who took on the grand responsibility of introducing a bunch of mostly unknown heroes, including a talking raccoon and a giant tree that would only utter the words “I am Groot”, into the MCU. The universe was already being ruled by other popular characters, but Gunn was up to the challenge and hit the jackpot for Marvel.
Gunn is known for being very active on social media and usually posts witty comments on various topics. Back in 2018, he was fired by Disney after some comments that he had made on social media a decade ago went viral for all the wrong reasons. The statements, which touched on subjects like rape and pedophilia, were meant to be satirical remarks. However, they eventually led to his eviction from the MCU.
In March 2019, though, the decision to let him go was reversed, and Disney confirmed that he would be returning to take the post of writer-director on Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3. It was revealed that Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn had met with Gunn and following the director’s public apology, Horn took the decision to reverse Gunn’s termination. While this change in heart left some unhappy, many fans rejoiced at the decision as it meant that Gunn would be in charge of the third installment of the Guardians franchise. After the success of the first two films, fans couldn’t imagine anyone else being at the helm of the project.
With Gunn back on board, the film was back on track. Although, it did have to face a small delay due to Gunn’s foray into the DC Extended Universe. During the process of being fired and rehired, Gunn had taken on The Suicide Squad as a project and he wouldn’t go back to the Guardians franchise until production on the DC film, and its spin-off series Peacemaker, was complete. But, the wait would all be worth it as Gunn’s genius has already resulted in massive success for the Guardians franchise so far. With him back, after a bump in the road, he is expected to give the third film his all, especially considering this will be the end of the line for him in the galaxy.
In multiple interviews earlier this year, Gunn has made it very clear that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is his final film in the series. He has been the main creative behind the films in the franchise and is largely responsible for the final products. But, the threequel is where his journey comes to an end, and if Marvel does decide to continue the franchise moving forward, Gunn will not be a part of it. Considering this is his last Guardians flick, the expectations for it to be the best are now even higher.
Previous sequels in the MCU had their strong points and were even appreciated by the audiences, including Captain America: Civil War and Thor: Ragnarok. But, the fan following that the Guardians franchise now has, it is bound to draw in larger numbers and will most likely be a bigger success at the box office than its counterparts. It remains to be seen what direction Gunn will take the film in, but either way, it should be a legendary ending to an epic story.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is expected to release in theaters on May 5, 2023.