Everyone’s favorite group of losers returns to the big screen for, by all accounts, one last ride. Rumors that “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” would mark the end of this specific iteration of the team have been flying far and wide for months, lending a sense of finality to the upcoming trilogy – the end of the trilogy when the writer /director James Gunn sets his sights on bigger and brighter things ahead: namely, his “Superman” movie for rival DC. But before we get to that, it’s worth taking stock of how a group of D-list comic book characters went from near-total obscurity to one of the most beloved additions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
That journey has taken Guardians from the confines of Gunn’s relatively independent franchise and through other movies and shows more generally. TO batch it’s happened to them, to say the least, and “Vol. 3” (you can read Chris Evangelista’s /Film review here) promises to put them to the test again. So, with the new movie about to be released in theaters around the world, there’s no better time to look back and refresh our memories of all the adventures they’ve been on. It’s certainly possible to have only seen the previous two “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies and still make sense for the next third, but that would still leave important context hanging in the wind.
So whether you’re just curious about all the details you missed or need a quick refresher on what came before, we’ve got the explainer for you. Here’s everything you need to remember to watch “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.”
Guardians of the Galaxy
Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill, Zoe Saldana’s Gamora, Dave Bautista’s Drax, Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper) and the lovable Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) have added a number of characters (and subtracted!) from their ranks over the years. , but the main Guardians have stayed the same since they first burst onto the scene in 2014. And what an entry it was, as their arrival set a new tone and sense of style that pervaded the MCU. The original “Guardians of the Galaxy” had a lot to deliver: launching Pratt to stardom, assembling a bevy of new characters without the benefit of solo origin stories beforehand, setting up the Infinity Stones plot, and our first real look at the Mad Titan Thanos in action, and all while truly exploring the cosmic side of Marvel like never before.
The results, if you look at the blockbuster, speak for themselves. After detailing the kidnapping of young Peter Quill from Earth in the late 1980s by the Ravager Yondu (Michael Rooker), the film quickly rounds up the misfits as bounty hunters and self-serving criminals. After escaping prison together and siding with Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace), the unlikely heroes have to put aside their personal grudges and unite for the greater good. Gamora leaves her evil ways behind along with her estranged sister Nebula (Karen Gillan), Groot sacrifices her life and makes way for Baby Groot, Rocket learns to be part of a team (although the groundwork is laid for further exploration of his traumatic origin). ), and Star-Lord really earns his nickname and comes to terms with his childhood trauma while dispatching Ronan once and for all.
And thus the Guardians were born.
guardians of the galaxy vol. 2
With all the tables turned out of the way, the 2017 sequel gave Gunn the freedom to make the movie he had clearly set out to make all along. The approach to deciphering the story of “Vol. 2” feels as clear as can be. After getting over his lingering guilt over the death of his ailing mother, Peter now has to come to terms with his father’s problems: it turns out he has a heavenly father with an ego (Kurt Russell) as big as a planet. and a father. he figures in Yondu who, despite years of neglect, truly loves him. The sinister Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki), leader of a race known as the Sovereign, acts as a secondary antagonist alongside the Ravagers before Ego takes center stage. Nebula finds herself a prisoner of the Guardians and struggles to articulate her deep grief directed at her sister Gamora. Rocket struggles with self-hatred and his place within the team. And throughout it all, the “unspoken thing” of Peter and Gamora creeps ever closer to outright romance.
While some Marvel fans struggled to join the comparatively show-free reunion movie, in which most of the film’s conflict boils down to a series of interpersonal disputes between members of the Guardians, those in the length of Gunn’s wave were rewarded with some of the most character-focused drama in the entire franchise. In the end, Nebula and the empathetic Mantis (Pom Klementieff) officially join the team, Yondu gives his life to save Peter’s, Ego is defeated, a post-credits scene prompts the arrival of one Adam Warlock, and the Guardians fall. they feel more like a genuine family than ever before.
The timing couldn’t have been better, given the cosmic threat knocking on his door in the upcoming crossover movies.
Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame
As the group with the closest ties to Thanos, raising Gamora and Nebula as the Mad Titan’s adopted children, it always made sense that the Guardians would reappear in “Avengers: Infinity War.” What fans probably couldn’t have expected, however, was the extent to which they would end up influencing the two-part event movies. After rescuing a wayward Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Guardians find themselves in a race against time to locate the remaining Infinity Stones before Thanos can get his hands on them. As Groot and Rocket join Thor on a quest to forge a mystical hammer, Gamora is once again kidnapped by her tyrannical father and killed in exchange for another stone. When Peter discovers the love of his life is gone, his emotions get the best of him and he ends up costing the Avengers at their most critical moment. Thanos escapes, obtains even more precious Infinity Stones, attacks Wakanda, and quickly destroys half the universe, including the vast majority of the Guardians.
As “Endgame” begins, Nebula is adrift with Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) in deep space and requires the sudden intervention of Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) to bring them safely back to Earth, where Nebula is stranded. he connects with Rocket as the two remaining guardians. The two join the rest of the Avengers in their desperate time-traveling ploy to reacquire the Infinity Stones and stop Thanos from enacting his plan in the first place, though those plans are derailed when Gamora from an earlier timeline and alternative is launched to yours. Though they eventually manage to bring their lost friends back, this Gamora is not the same one Quill fell in love with, setting the stage for more conflict to come.
Guardians of the Galaxy Christmas Special
After a brief appearance in “Thor: Love and Thunder” (which, in all honesty, doesn’t mean much at all), the Guardians appear next in the delightful “Guardians of the Galaxy Christmas Special.” The hilarious game lives up to its billing as a light and fluffy distraction from the rest of the franchise’s downbeat goings-on, mostly following Drax and Mantis as they return to Earth to find the perfect Peter-obsessed holiday gift. With the 80’s. : Actor Kevin Bacon of “Footloose” fame, naturally. Having purchased the underground crime city of Knowhere, the Guardians now operate out of this base and have settled into a relaxed rhythm following Thanos’ defeat.
In terms of developments that are actually included in “Vol. 3”, the “Holiday Special” makes it explicitly clear that Mantis is Quill’s half-sister, given Ego’s shared ancestry from both individually. Additionally, the special adds Cosmo the Spacedog (voiced by Maria Bakalova) to the cast. And as for Peter, he’s still struggling with Gamora’s death and the fact that the new Gamora doesn’t even remember him, which is a plot point that “Vol. 3” directly addresses. Meanwhile, former Ravager Kraglin (Sean Gunn) tries to live up to the mantle passed down by Yondu and figure out how to control that telepathic arrow weapon. All told, it’s not strictly necessary to watch the special to follow the vast majority of “Vol. 3″… but for those eager to spend a little more time with the lovable Guardians, the special hits the spot.
Thankfully, fans have plenty of time to catch up on all of the Guardians’ appearances in the MCU, all of which are streaming on Disney+. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” hits theaters on May 5, 2023.
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The post Everything You Need to Remember to Understand Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 first appeared on /Film.
