GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 3. The third episode of Guardians of the Galaxy, which hits theaters this Wednesday, May 3, is theoretically the last of the trilogy. But nothing is ever certain with Marvel…
It’s the last ride for Rocket and his friends. Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is released in theaters this Wednesday, May 3 and marks the end of the trilogy worn by James Gunn on the sidelines of the Avengers. In this final part, the Guardians will have to face Ayesha, the priestess of the Sovereigns, her overpowered creation Adam Warlock, but also The Master of Evolution, creator of Rocket himself. And this fight will be a page turned for the saga since James Gunn himself announced, in December, that this “last round” will be “the end of the trilogy, the end of an era”.
Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is also supposed to mark the end of James Gunn’s collaboration with Marvel. After two first successful opuses and after being fired for slippages on social networks, the director returned in 2019 to prepare this third episode (he also signed the medium-length film “Guardians of the Galaxy: Happy Holidays”, released on Disney+ last November).
In addition to the statements of their creator, several signals seem to show that there will be no sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy. In the soundtrack, for example, we will notice the return of “Come and Get Your Love”, emblematic song of the franchise, at the very end of the film, as if to signify a farewell. Centered on the origins of Rocket, a raccoon with incredible powers, this opus can also be seen as an ultimate key to closing the Guardians chapter. MCU connoisseurs will also point out that the sagas all work in trios, with the notable exception of Thor, which has been the subject of four films, but not necessarily for the best.
A possible rebound after the Guardians?
More prosaically, The Guardians of the Galaxy arrive, according to several critics, at the end of a creative journey. Several times criticized for the poverty of their scripts and sometimes even their visual effects, the latest MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) babies have been able to disappoint since Avengers: Endgame, a real punch released in 2019. The latest blockbuster releases, Doctor Strange 2 or Ant-Man: Quantumania have in turn suffered the wrath of fans, but also drastic falls at the box office.
All these elements suggest that Guardians of the Galaxy 3 sign the end of a long story, both by the scriptwriting logic and by the commercial context which is imposed on Marvel studios. But this last opus, rather well received by critics across the Atlantic because marked by a real return to the sources of Marvel successes, could also be the sign of a rebound for the MCU in the coming years.
While Guardians of the Galaxy is unlikely to return in its current format, some characters may see further development in the coming years.
The 32nd Marvel Movie
Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is still the 32nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is also part of Phase 5 of the MCU. This feature film is set after Thor: Love and Thunder. The trailer was unveiled earlier this year.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is still directed by James Gunn, who later became co-CEO of DC Studios. In the casting, we find once again Chris Pratt (Star-Lord), Zoe Saldaña (Gamora), David Bautista (Drax), Karen Gillan (Nébula), Pom Klementieff (Mantis), Vin Diesel (Groot) or even Bradley Cooper ( rocket). The film introduces Will Poulter as Adam Warlock and Chukwudi Iwuji as the Master of Evolution, while Elizabeth Debicki takes on the role of Ayesha, the priestess of the Sovereigns.
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Synopsis – Still looking for Gamora, the Guardians of the Galaxy embark on a new space adventure that will force them to face Ayesha, the priestess of the Sovereigns, her overpowered creation Adam Warlock, but also The Master of Evolution, creator of Rocket .
Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 took a long time to hit theaters. As a reminder, the second episode featuring the band of space mercenaries from the Marvel team was released in cinemas in 2017. In the meantime, we have been able to see the characters in the films Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame and Thor 4. Finally, the third episode of Guardians of the Galaxy was released in cinemas in France on May 3, 2023.
Following the finale of Avengers: Endgame, this is the question that Marvel fans were asking themselves: will Thor appear in Guardians of the Galaxy 3? Warning, spoilers on Avengers 4 : At the end of the film, Thor joined Star Lord, Groot, Drax, Rocket and the rest of the gang for intergalactic adventures. However, as viewers who have seen Thor 4: Love and Thunder will already know, the God of Thunder ended up leaving the band of space mercenaries. Guardians of the Galaxy 3 takes place after the fourth episode of Thor, we should not see the character of Chris Hemsworth in the film, even if a cameo is never to be excluded with the Marvel franchise.
Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame have reshuffled all the cards of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Warning, spoilers on Avengers 3 and 4 : In Infinity War, Gamora was sacrificed and killed by Thanos. But in Endgame, through time jumps, the Gamora from the past was sent to our heroes’ present and influence the events of the fourth Avengers movie. The character, however, remained untraceable at the end of the feature film. Note that we see Gamora in the Guardians of the Galaxy 3 trailer, so there is no doubt about his presence in the feature film.
Marvel studios have chosen to “store” their films in phases, in order to introduce new characters and above all, to make a conclusion to their stories. Ideally, the closing film creates an opening for the next phase. Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is part of phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), along with Ant-Man 3, The Marvels and Captain America: New World Order.