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It’s been six years and a longer than expected wait, but the MCU’s group of sci-fi misfits return with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Famously, the movie was backburnered after the firing of franchise writer/director James Gunn in 2018, followed by his rehiring the following year. During that window where he was no longer employed by Marvel Studios, Gunn made his own superhero horror film Brightburn, then jumped ship over to Warner Bros. to direct and write The Suicide Squad (and its TV spinoff Peacemaker), then get hired full time to co-lead DC Studios and write/direct a Superman movie.
Guardians 3 has a lot riding on it; in addition to being Gunn’s final Marvel film for the next decade, it’s also the last hurrah for one of the MCU’s “vintage” franchises like Iron Man, Thor, and Steve Rogers’ Captain America movies. In between their last main movie and now, the Guardians got to hang with the Avengers in Infinity War and Endgame, pal around with Thor for a little bit of Love & Thunder, and star in a holiday special.
But now that they’re headlining their own movie again, it sounds like it was well worth the wait, as Guardians 3 has gotten pretty positive reviews and audience reactions. Largely deemed a satisfying end for Gunn’s trilogy and touching story for Bradley Cooper’s Rocket Raccoon, it’s also been called one of the best MCU movies in quite some time. And it’s had the added effect of helping renew an appreciation for the previous two installments in the series. Wherever the next incarnation of Guardians go from here, the original batch of movies have definitely left an impression on audiences that’ll opens up some interesting possibilities for their future adventures.
Let us know what you thought of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and the entire franchise overall, in the comments below.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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