The release of 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy was plagued with a number of fears surrounding the film, but the first trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 proves those worries weren’t entirely justified. While it seemed like Marvel Studios was quickly scraping the bottom of the barrel of established characters, the Guardians of the Galaxy rapidly became household names and one of the most successful franchises under Marvel’s belt. GotG Vol. 3‘s trailer is a perfect reminder of how far the team has come over the past decade.
Guardians of the Galaxy was a turning point for Marvel and introduced tragic MCU characters like Rocket Raccoon midway through Phase 2 of the Infinity Saga. Each appearance the Guardians have made showed a large amount of growth, cementing why James Gunn’s take on the cosmic team was one of Marvel Studios’ best decisions. Vol. 3 is set to be the final time this iteration of the group appears, with the trailer setting up a perfect goodbye for the obscure characters that won’t return in future projects. There may have been worries about how the first film would turn out, but it instead told a compelling story about this team of misfits.
Why People Were Worried About Guardians Of The Galaxy
When it was initially announced in 2014, Guardians of the Galaxy instantly became known as Marvel Studios’ riskiest movie. Centering a story around relatively unknown Marvel characters was seen as a joke, particularly because two of the members were a walking tree and a talking raccoon. But it was scenes like Rocket’s drunken outburst or Groot’s emotional death that made them compelling. Fast-forward nearly ten years, and Rocket is arguably the MCU’s most interesting character. No one could have anticipated the film’s success, and how important these characters would be years later.
Beyond the unlikely heroes being introduced, the cast members weren’t the most obvious choices either. An actor recognizable from a sitcom, an actress who starred in the highest-grossing movie of all time, and a wrestler joining forces as live-action heroes was unusual compared to the actors that portrayed the Avengers. But thanks to James Gunn’s unique direction and writing, and the chemistry between the characters, the Guardians of the Galaxy eventually became as popular as Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
James Gunn Has Truly Made People Care About The Guardians
James Gunn helming each Guardians of the Galaxy project makes him one of Marvel’s most consistent filmmakers. Gunn truly understands and cares about these characters, which is why Rocket’s potential Guardians Vol. 3 death would be all the more heartbreaking. Before 2014, it was unimaginable that moviegoers could care about a talking raccoon and his tree friend, but their unique dynamic and backstories really sold why someone could care about them. At the end of the day, they have emotions just like human beings do, and they were involved in relatable circumstances such as finding a surrogate family in unlikely allies.
Resonant themes and likable characters helped the Guardians of the Galaxy become one of Marvel’s most recognizable teams in a short period of time. Being able to redeem villainous characters like Nebula or Yondu and including them in their group add reason as to why it’s so easy to care about the Guardians. As emotional as the first two films are, knowing there’s a strong chance that GotG 3 could be sadder than Avengers: Endgame helps justify why the fears surrounding Guardians of the Galaxy weren’t necessary.