Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 early reactions spell good news for Marvel
Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3, directed by James Gunn, premieres in theaters May 5
Marvel Studios hasn’t exactly flagged since Avengers: Endgame. Output is higher than ever, and the box office of the last handful of major theatrical releases isn’t something to sneeze at, either. Yet the studio has undoubtedly experienced challenges finding its footing in the wake of concluding its first major saga. Luckily, the reliably enjoyable Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 (premiering May 5) is here to right the ship.
Early reactions to GOTG3 online are likely to be hyperbolic, not only because that’s how early reactions always are, but also because the film is a genuine improvement over some of the other recent releases (Ant Man And The Wasp: Quantumania and Thor: Love & Thunder specifically). Many of the early viewers—this writer included—felt that the film re-captured some of the magic of early MCU fare that’s been waning in recent years.
The film smartly sticks to what works, which is emphasizing the found-family dynamic, making the audience care about the galaxy’s biggest misfits, and keeping the energy high with crowd-pleasing needle drops. Best of all, Guardians is less concerned with moving pieces in place for the “Multiverse Saga” than concluding its own trilogy, so the emotional story (which puts Bradley Cooper’s Rocket front and center) is largely self-contained.