Just in time for National Superhero Day, we have the first reactions to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 following its Hollywood premiere last night. Now, U.S. movie critics are weighing in on Director, now DC Studios CEO, James Gunn’s third and final film in the MCU trilogy.
Simply put, the reviews are hopeful. While we always have to be cautious with social media reviews, these verdicts are hopeful, calling the threequel about Marvel’s lovable band of misfits the best MCU film since Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: No Way Home.
After Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, She-Hulk, Moon Knight and even Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Marvel and Disney could use a homerun. These films and shows seemed to lack the emotional gravitas that we became used to with Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War and WandaVision.
One consensus seems to be that Rocket Raccoon’s backstory will serve as the emotional center of the film. And his story is powerful according to the reviews.
Using Rocket as an emotional catalyst for the movie gives Gunn the opportunity to dive deeper into the character’s psyche. Though audiences love Rocket, and Rocket loves his friends and would do anything for them, Rocket doesn’t necessarily love himself and the rest of the galaxy,” says Gunn.
He adds, “The truth is Rocket hasn’t really valued life. He’s valued himself and he’s valued his friends. He has had no empathy for anybody outside of his own clan. It’s a very old-time empathy. He hasn’t done anything altruistically throughout any of those movies that wasn’t just to help his friends. Even though he saved the planet and saved the world, he’s done it to help his friends because that’s what they were doing. He didn’t do it because he ever thought anybody else had any worth.”
Check out the reactions, and a new critics’ TV spot, for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 below.
REELated:
In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, our beloved band of misfits are looking a bit different these days. Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him to defend the universe along with protecting one of their own. A mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.
Gunn writes and directs Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, featuring Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Will Poulter, and Maria Bakalova.
Kevin Feige is the producer and Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Nikolas Korda, Simon Hatt, and Sara Smith serve as executive producers.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 arrives in theaters on May 5, 2023.
