What’s next for Marvel Studios? Who’s recently joined the cast of your most anticipated series or film? Where can you find the teasers and trailers? Look no further, true believers. Everything you need to know about the future of the MCU has been collected for you here. Click on each logo to learn what we currently know about the upcoming MCU projects.
As early reviews of MCU films continue to feel increasingly unbiased, word of mouth from opening weekend screenings has seemed to become more valuable than ever. Simply put, folks who are unsure if they’ll see a film or not are waiting for audience reactions before heading to a theater. In the case of Marvel Studios first Phase 5 release, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, less than enthusiastic word of mouth quickly diminished the film’s opening weekend momentum leading to a precipitous second weekend drop. After early reviews for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the latest installment of the studio’s Multiverse Saga, added to some pre-existing doubt about the film’s opening weekend performance it seems even more people were waiting to hear what audiences had to say about the film before deciding to take in a showing. Now they have the answer they’ve been waiting for.
More than one review of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (including our own) has indicated that the film is a return to form for Marvel Studios and it would seem opening night audiences agreed. Cinemascore, which polls opening night audiences as they exit the theater, has revealed that the Guardians farewell flick resonated strongly with fans and scored an A.
With an “A”, Vol. 3 joins the two previous Guardians of the Galaxy films in earning the high rating. It also joins Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever as the only films in the Multiverse Saga to be scored an “A” (Spider-Man: No Way Home earned the elite “A+” Cinemascore).
With Vol. 3 currently tracking for somewhere in the ballpark of a $120M opening weekend, it’ll be worth following how the positive word of mouth impacts the second weekend. There’s no immediate box office challenger to Guardians and while there’s always a second weekend drop off, the studio will hope to avoid the massive 69% drop suffered by Quantumania.
Source: Twitter
With an Awesome Mix of humor, heart, action, drama, and off-the-wall imagination, James Gunn delivers the long-awaited conclusion to the cosmic trilogy that reminded us that We Are Groot. And like the familiar tree guy, this franchise has branched in unpredictable yet fascinating ways but has always remained rooted in themes of found family, redemption, and reinvention.
In this third film, Gunn feels particularly confident and audacious as a filmmaker, pushing forward with a propulsive plot that knows when to release the tension with comedy and quirky character beats, as well as when to shift gears from heart-wrenching drama to awesome action and sci-fi space opera. There are some really fun set pieces and sequences, and only a couple of instances where things get a little too messy and chaotic. But overall, it’s a thrill ride visually.
Much like he did in the first two entries, Gunn deftly employs his signature needle drops to guide us through the varying emotional beats and tonal shifts. In the center of the story is Rocket’s journey from raccoon to rogue, as we learn his origin, and that of his first found family of misfits, through a series of flashbacks. The film invites us to peer behind his tragic eyes, and from his perspective, we experience the longing, love, and loss that coalesces into regret, before finally coming to understand that Rocket’s emotional scars truly are as lasting as his physical ones. It is within these flashbacks that we also meet The High Evolutionary, a villain with the kind of god complex his name would suggest, and the capacity to make Rocket’s old wounds fresh.
If you’re familiar with the comics, then you have a pretty good idea of what The High Evolutionary’s goals are, what lengths he’s willing to go through to achieve them, and just how many people he’s willing to kill or make suffer along the way (Hint: It’s all of them). And Chukwudi Iwuji performs the role to a T, knowing when to strike the notes of cold calculation, when to soften, and when to unleash his wrath. He’s not really an antagonist you root for in any fashion, and the movie never lets him off the hook, so by the time the bill comes due, the catharsis is earned.
Accompanying this main Rocket-centric story is the Peter Quill story, where he can’t get over the fact that Gamora 2, pulled from the timeline in Avengers: Endgame, missed all of the Phase 3 films, and he just can’t bring her up to speed on what she missed. Both Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldaña do a great job here, Zoe in particular. In a lot of ways she represents the viewer who doesn’t “get” the Guardians and what makes them special, but like the viewer, despite herself, she too is eventually moved by the adventure and finds her own groove to jam to.
But all the Guardians have got moves. Mantis remains the most empathetic and intuitive, and Pom Klementieff‘s comedic chemistry with Dave Bautista‘s Drax remains as satisfying as it was in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. The juxtaposition between her emotional openness and Nebula’s cold precision and bluntness provides a different kind of energy, as their dramatic tension helps to balance the hijinks. Even newcomer Cosmo (voiced by Maria Bakalova) and the perennially underrated Kraglin (played by Sean Gunn) get their moments to shine. The family continues to grow, and though they may bicker, when it’s showtime, they find their harmony.
Another newcomer to the Guardians story is Adam Warlock, played with flourish by Will Poulter as an ultra-powerful yet childlike being, who wants to impress his Sovereign mother figure (the returning Elizabeth Debicki), but whose hot temper constantly gets the best of him. Hardcore comic fans might find him confounding when compared to the cosmic near deity from the page, but the story leaves him with more than enough room to evolve. Keeping with the theme, after all.
What sets this trilogy apart from the other Marvel Cinematic Universe trilogies is that across the three films, the stories really do come full circle. Our heroes acknowledge the painful pasts that forged them, but they each stop being defined by them, and their arcs conclude with them finally being able to define themselves. And their Guardians compatriots, that aforementioned found family, grow to love and accept them, regardless of their respective flaws and scars. It’s a feel-good tale with a hopeful message, and by the end, you’re rocking out, from Knowhere to wherever the Guardians story travels next.
Thus far, Phases 4 and 5 of the MCU have been polarizing, with very few projects leaving us with the “rah-rah” feeling that makes us want to sing its praises and go back for encores. But Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 reminds us why we love these movies and reminds us of way back when, we were first Hooked On A Feeling.
9.75/10
A recent trend in how audiences have perceived the latest Marvel Studios films may have an impact on their next project. Though it did well at the box office, Thor: Love and Thunder was hardly a hit with fans and after a quick start at the box office, poor word of mouth stomped on Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. Next up for the studios is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and according to a long-range box office forecast by Box Office Pro, James Gunn‘s threequel may bear the brunt of general audiences’ growing displeasure.
Citing low interest in pre-sales and a lack of social media buzz that typically accompanies Marvel Studios’ releases, Box Office Pro is currently projecting Vol. 3 to open between $120-$155M from May 4th’s Thursday previews through showings on Sunday, May 7th. While that’s the kind of opening weekend most studios would covet, it would be considered a disappointing opening for what’s expected to be Marvel Studios’ biggest film of 2023. An opening on the low end of that range would mean Vol. 3’s take would come in below Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2‘s $145M from 2017 which would certainly cause an uproar online and possibly behind the scenes at the studio.
There’s plenty of hope, however, that those numbers will climb–potentially significantly–however. Pre-sales aren’t a bulletproof predictor and the Guardians franchise is one of the MCU’s most beloved and well-received. The characters have grown from a group that not even casual comic readers recognized to some of Marvel’s most popular heroes and with there being little competition at the box office, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 could draw huge walkup-numbers. It will also be worth watching how reviews from the premiere and early screenings influence audiences, some of whom might be waiting to hear what critics have to say before dropping their dollars on pre-sale tickets.
Source: Box Office Pro
Marvel Studios pulled no punches at CCXP 2022 in Bravil, unveiling the first public look at 2023’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
In Marvel Studios “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.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will it theaters May 5, 2023.
On Wednesday, Marvel Studios held the world premiere of the hotly anticipated Black Panther sequel, Black Panther: Wakana Forever. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige was on hand to celebrate the film and walk the purple carpet. Unsurprisingly, Feige was asked about Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn‘s new position at DC Studios. Feige, of course, was incredibly supportive of Gunn and his future endeavors for DC Studios.
“I speak to James almost every day. We have a wonderful thing called the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special coming out. We have a wonderful thing called Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 coming out in May. How he’ll have any time to work on DC until May I don’t know, but once he does have the time I’ll be very excited. I’ll be first in line.”
Feige
Gunn’s new job at DC Studios begins on Nov. 1st, however, while he’ll be exclusively working for DC and Warner Bros. Discovery for the next four years, he still has a ton of work ahead of him for Marvel Studios. Next month, the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will be released, and next summer, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will finally hit theaters. Gunn will still be making the promotional rounds for Marvel Studios while helping to headline DC Studios.
Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will hit Disney+ on Nov. 25th.
Source: Deadline.
One of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most exciting new characters is set to debut in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and the actor bringing him to life has a lot to say about it. Will Poulter is expected to make waves when he appears as the iconic hero Adam Warlock in next year’s highly anticipated threequel. A long-standing member of Marvel’s intergalactic roster, Warlock has played a major role in numerous franchise-changing events since he was introduced in 1967. His presence in the MCU was first teased back in 2017’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and fans have been eager to see him on screen ever since.
Following the big Marvel Studios panel at San Diego Comic-Con, Poulter got a chance to speak with Variety about his approach to playing Warlock. After being asked what it was like collaborating with director James Gunn, he explained:
Yeah, um, y’know, we discussed the fact that in the second movie his birth is sort of teased. So, it was about embracing this idea of him in his infancy. Y’know, he’s effectively a newborn and he’s just kind of trying to orientate himself and work out what the hell is going on. The difference between right and wrong. There was a lot of fun to be had with that but also, I think, a lot of genuine psychological exploration.
Will Poulter
Poulter was then asked how it felt to see the first footage of himself in the role play for a room full of screaming fans. The audience in attendance for the panel was shown an exclusive early teaser for Vol. 3, something the rest of the world still has to wait for. The former Narnia star went on to call the experience crazy.
Yeah, it was crazy. It was legitimately the first bit of footage I’ve seen since being on set and checking out the monitor, making sure I didn’t make a total hash of it. But it was really fun to hear the fans’ reaction to it. That’s a really special opportunity, in Hall H of all places. Super grateful, and I’m really excited to see it now.
Will Poulter
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters on May 5th, 2023.
Source: Variety
Those in attendance at Hall H were treated to quite the surprise when James Gunn popped up with the cast of Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 3, where they debuted the first footage of the upcoming film. Reactions to said footage were reportedly quite emotional, as the footage included a young Rocket Raccoon, the return of Gamora, and the reveal of the High Evolutionary.
We’ve known for quite some time that Gunn would be wrapping up this iteration of the Guardians of The Galaxy, a team he brought into the spotlight back in 2014, and following the panel, he briefly discussed what it was like saying to conclude their story. Variety caught up with Gunn following Marvel Studios’ big Hall H panel and talked about how hard it was to say goodbye to something he’d been a part of for so long.
“I really like sorta blocked myself off to it till the last day and Chris Pratt gave a very emotional speech and I got teary-eyed, he had prepared it, it was really funny. He was reading off all of the people, he went back, and he looked at all the people that said the first movie was gonna be a huge bomb, and all the people that said a bunch of negative stuff about how bad the movie was fail and read all the stuff and went into a bunch of stuff about how much we all love each other.”
James Gunn
Gunn continued on to talk about another speech given by a veteran Guardians of The Galaxy cast member, Zoe Saldana.
“Zoe Saldana gave a speech that just crushed me and like I just lost it, like I really cried, you know? And I’m a big tear guy, not a cry guy, a tear guy. You know, I get the little tears, I’m sitting with my fiance and we’re watching some movie and I get teary-eyed, all the time, real easy with the tears, not easy with the cry, and I cried, it was really beautiful.”
James Gunn
Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to hit theaters on May 5th, 2023.
SOURCE: Twitter
Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to conclude what director James Gunn and his crew started all the way back in 2014 with the first Guardians of The Galaxy film. It brought the rather obscure cosmic team into the limelight and made them household names ever since. The third film is set to introduce quite an important character from the Marvel mythos, as Will Poulter is set to play Adam Warlock, a role Poulter says he’s ready to play the long game with.
Poulter sat down with the playlist to talk about his upcoming film The Score, where he was asked about his exciting debut as Warlock in the next Guardians film.
I first auditioned in June of last year [2021], and that was the first time I auditioned, and then I kind of got the role in September, I think. And then started shooting in December… I didn’t know what character , initially, I was auditioning for. I kind of knew sort of closer to the time [of casting] who I was reading for. Although I wasn’t familiar with Adam Warlock beforehand, I was very familiar with the ‘Guardians of The Galaxy,’ and it was king of my favorite ‘planet’ within the Marvel universe, if you like. I’m just a huge fan of the tone and creativity and James Gunn’s work and so many of the actors, you know, that I now I get to call colleagues, which i’m very grateful for. So yeah, to have any kind of part in that world is very, very cool for me.
Will Poulter
Poulter went on to talk about the future of his character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe but revealed he isn’t actually sure where the character is going, only that he is more than happy to stick around for the journey.
I don’t know. I honestly don’t know what’s in store for me. I’m waiting to find out, and that’s the honest truth, but, needless to say, I’d love to sort of go on a journey with that character.
Will Poulter
Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to hit theaters on May 5th, 2023 with Gunn returning to write and direct. Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Karen Gillian, and Pom Klementieff will all reprise their respective roles.
Source: The Playlist
Production on Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 might be nearing its end, but that doesn’t mean there’s been a shortage of set photos. Thanks to Just Jared, we have a new look at some of the Guardians cast on the set, including Chris Pratt and Karen Gillan. Both Pratt and Gillan are in character and seem to be sporting new uniforms that are sure to delight comic book fans.
Gone is Starlord’s maroon trench coat. Instead, Pratt’s Starlordis seen sporting the classic blue uniform from the comics with the red lining and classic guardians’ emblem. Also sporting the classic uniform is Gillan’s Nebula, who looks to finally be an official member of the team. While the rest of the team is absent from these latest photos, we do have a new look at some of the aliens featured in the film.
Writer and director James Gunn recently confirmed that production is nearly finished. Production for both Vol. 3 and the Holiday Special have been filming concurrently, and we’ve seen a fair share of set photos surface in recent weeks, with one even teasing a potential Eternals connection.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 is currently slated to hit theaters on May 5th, 2023.
Source: Just Jared
