“Guardians” Cranked Up on Vol. 3
The final film in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” trilogy is embraced by audiences.
The much anticipated third chapter of Marvel Studios’ “Guardians of the Galaxy” trilogy, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3'' premiered on May 5, marking the second film in the Phase Five era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It is also the final film that writer, director, and producer James Gunn created for the MCU before becoming co-chairman and co-CEO of DC Studios in November 2022.
The storyline picks up after the events of “Avengers: Endgame” and “The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.” The Guardians are relentless in their mission to protect their team member Rocket Raccoon from his creator, the villainous High Evolutionary. The film provides flashbacks and insight about Rocket’s previously undisclosed origins.
The five staples of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise return: Peter Quill/Star Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), and Rocket Raccoon and Groot, voiced by Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel respectively. Also returning is Gunn’s use of hit songs from the ‘70s and ‘80s with the addition of popular songs from the ‘90’s and 2000s.
The film’s soundtrack “Awesome Mix Vol. 3” reached No. 1 on the iTunes chart by May 4, and remains in the No. 2 spot. Billboard also reported that the soundtrack sold one million digital downloads in the first week of release.
Gunn conceived his ideas for a third “Guardians” film in 2014, but it wasn't until April 2017 that he officially announced his return to write and direct the MCU film. A year later in July 2018, Disney fired Gunn after the resurfacing of inappropriate and offensive tweets that he posted nine years earlier.
In a 2018 interview with Variety, Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn said, “the offensive attitudes and statements discovered on James’ Twitter feed are indefensible and inconsistent with our studio’s values, and we have severed our business relationship with him.” Disney CEO Bob Iger was not part of the decision to fire Gunn but supported the decision which was also unanimous among the involved executives at Marvel and Disney.
“Many people who have followed my career know, when I started, I viewed myself as a provocateur, making movies and telling jokes that were outrageous and taboo,” said Gunn in a response on Twitter. “As I have discussed publicly many times, as I’ve developed as a person, so has my work and my humor.”
After Gunn’s firing, cast members from “Guardians of the Galaxy” films tweeted support for him. His fans created an online petition calling for his reinstatement, garnering over 300,000 signatures. Eight months later, Disney rehired Gunn to finish writing and directing the film. It was determined that although Gunn’s inappropriate posts were not in line with Disney and Marvel Studios’ values, he could not be held in breach of contract since the offensive tweets were made years before he signed his contract.
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” has lived up to its audience's high expectations, earning a 92 percent audience and critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes. According to Collider, as of May 21, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” has grossed over $660 million in worldwide box office sales.
