Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is now officially in theaters and Marvel fans will know that this is a momentous occasion as it is the final film in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise for director James Gunn. Those involved in the product gave their final thoughts to Disney today regarding the grand finale of this epic space adventure.
“This has been over 10 years in the making and these films are so uniquely James Gunn—his voice, his writing, his directing, his love for animals, his comedy, his drama, his specific tone,” says Chris Pratt (who plays Peter Quill aka Star-Lord) regarding the trilogy. “I’m so grateful that he has been our maestro for all three films.”
11 years ago I had a meeting with Marvel Studios about the possibility of doing a Guardians of the Galaxy movie. I remember driving home & thinking I didn’t want to make a movie LIKE Star Wars, but a movie that made people FEEL like Star Wars made me feel as a kid. Outlandish… pic.twitter.com/xiCnJOTf7c
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) May 4, 2023
As of going to print, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 currently has an 80% approval rating and is “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes. You can check out their breakdown of all of the reviews here.
Guardians Director James Gunn talked a bit about his process when making the films saying,
“There were a lot of things that I guessed, and there were a lot of things I didn’t know, but I knew that the core of the story, for me, was Rocket and his story: where he came from, and who he was. It was very important for me to tell that story.”
11 years ago I had a meeting with Marvel Studios about the possibility of doing a Guardians of the Galaxy movie. I remember driving home & thinking I didn’t want to make a movie LIKE Star Wars, but a movie that made people FEEL like Star Wars made me feel as a kid. Outlandish… pic.twitter.com/xiCnJOTf7c
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) May 4, 2023
We don’t want to give too much away about the third Guardians of the Galaxy film but we will say that it is Rocket’s story that drives much of the narrative in the film. When the movie opens, the Guardians are settling into life on Knowhere before their lives are upended when Rocket’s turbulent past comes back to haunt them.
We can also tell you that one of the baddies in this film is a mad scientist known as The High Evolutionary. He is played by Chukwudi Iwuji. The High Evolutionary sees Rocket as his property and wants to take back what is rightfully his! With that in mind, it’s up to the Guardians to protect Rocket’s life at all costs.
With the focus on Rocket, Gunn felt well-positioned to round out the trilogy by taking some risks in Vol 3. The director said, The central character, in a way, is Rocket, and Rocket’s the one I feel close to. The first film is the story of the mother, the second film is the story of the father, and this film is the story of the self.” Gunn adds, “So it’s innately more intimate because of that.”
Zoe Saldana, who has played Gamora in all three films said that Gunn excels at weaving together action and emotion. The actress said, “What makes James a special storyteller is that he finds genuine, universal, common emotions and conflicts, and he utilizes them and sets them on a universe-type of the tapestry. We’re all still able to relate to it because we all feel sort of like underdogs sometimes. We all hurt when we are neglected, rejected, or treated unfairly.” Saldaña continues,. “But we all are capable of feeling a great level of compassion for each other, so he creates this beautiful story with all of these universal feelings.”
Gunn built upon Saldana’s statement saying, “When you go back to the first movie, you see that tonal shifts have been a part of this franchise from the very beginning. It was really important to me that the films were fluid tonally. The humor is incredibly important, but I also didn’t want to undercut any emotion with a joke. So, it was important for me to allow the humor and the characters to be funny, because they are funny characters and get into funny situations, but also to allow the emotion to really play out and not be ashamed of that emotion.”
In addition to Star-Lord and Gamora, fan favorites including Drax (Dave Bautista), Nebula (Karen Gillian), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Groot (Vin Diesel), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), and Kraglin (Sean Gunn) are joined by Will Poulter as Adam Warlock and Maria Bkalova as Cosmo. Praff talked about what it’s like to have the crew together one last time saying, “It’s really special to be reunited with the Guardians family for Vol. 3,” Pratt says. “It’s rare to have a rapport like we have, and for as many years as we’ve put in the trenches together, we’re still very much a family. What makes it different this time around is we know it’s coming to an end, so I think each of us is processing that in their own way…”
As with the other Guardians films viewers can expect an exciting, comedic, and emotional ride according to Pratt, “It’s wild, it’s extraordinary, it pushes the boundaries, it’s fun and funny. It focuses on uniqueness and heart and compassion, and imagination, music, humor, vibrant colors, beautiful imagery, and ingenious alternate universes. It’s the final installment of the Guardians of the Galaxy [trilogy] and wraps it up in a way that really only James could.”
You check out a recent trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 – In Theaters NOW!
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