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| Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 |
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (stylized as Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3) is a 2023 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team Guardians of the Galaxy, produced by Marvel Studios, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), and the 32nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It was written and directed by James Gunn, and features an ensemble cast including Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Will Poulter, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Linda Cardellini, Nathan Fillion, and Sylvester Stallone. In the film, the Guardians embark on a mission to protect Rocket (Cooper) from the High Evolutionary (Iwuji).
Gunn said in November 2014 that he had initial ideas for a third and final film in the series, and announced his return to write and direct in April 2017. Disney fired him from the film in July 2018 following the resurfacing of controversial posts on Twitter, but the studio reversed course by that October and reinstated him. Gunn's return was publicly revealed in March 2019, with production resuming after Gunn completed work for DC on his film The Suicide Squad (2021) and the first season of its spin-off series Peacemaker (2022). Filming began in November 2021 at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, and lasted until May 2022.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 premiered at Disneyland Paris on April 22, 2023, and was released in the United States on May 5, 2023, as part of Phase Five of the MCU. It has received positive reviews from critics and has grossed over $678.5 million worldwide, becoming the second-highest-grossing film of 2023.
Plot[edit]
At their new headquarters on Knowhere,[a] the Guardians of the Galaxy are attacked by Adam, a Sovereign warrior created by their high priestess Ayesha.[b] After Adam critically wounds Rocket, he is stabbed by Nebula and flees. The Guardians cannot heal Rocket's wounds due to a kill switch embedded in him by Orgocorp, a company helmed by a mad scientist, the High Evolutionary. The Guardians travel to Orgocorp's headquarters to find the override code.
As Rocket lies unconscious, he recalls his past. As a baby, he was experimented on by the High Evolutionary, who sought to enhance and anthropomorphize animal lifeforms to create an ideal society called Counter-Earth. Rocket befriended his fellow Batch 89 test subjects: the otter Lylla, the walrus Teefs, and the rabbit Floor. The High Evolutionary was impressed by Rocket's rapidly growing intelligence but was furious once it exceeded his own. The High Evolutionary used Rocket to perfect his Animen creations, then planned to harvest Rocket's brain for further research and exterminate the obsolete Batch 89. Rocket frees his friends, but the High Evolutionary kills Lylla. Rocket mauls the High Evolutionary, but his henchmen kill Teefs and Floor during a firefight with Rocket. Heartbroken, Rocket flees in a spaceship.
In the present, an alternate version of Gamora,[c] who has joined the Ravagers, helps the Guardians infiltrate Orgocorp. They retrieve Rocket's file but discover that the code was removed, with the likely culprit being Theel, one of the High Evolutionary's advisors, so the Guardians depart for Counter-Earth to find him. They are followed by Ayesha and Adam, the High Evolutionary revealed to be their race's creator as he threatened to wipe out the Sovereign if they fail to retrieve Rocket. The Guardians reach Counter-Earth and are guided to the Arête Laboratories complex. Drax and Mantis remain with Gamora and Rocket as Peter Quill, Groot, and Nebula travel to Aréte. Nebula is forced to wait outside by guards as Quill and Groot enter Arête, while Drax tricks Mantis into pursuing Quill's group. Gamora saves Rocket from being captured by Adam and War Pig, an experiment of the High Evolutionary.
Questioned by Quill, the High Evolutionary admits disillusionment with the Animen's imperfect society. He destroys Counter-Earth to kill the Animen and start anew. Ayesha is killed in the process as Adam attempts to save her. Arête departs as a spaceship, with Nebula, Drax and Mantis boarding for a rescue mission, while Quill and Groot escape Arête with Theel, retrieving the code from his corpse while rescued by Gamora in their ship. As Quill's group uses the code, Rocket instead flatlines and has a near-death experience, where he reunites with Lylla, Teefs, and Floor. Lylla tells him that his time has not yet come as Quill restarts Rocket's heart. The code disables Rocket's kill switch, allowing for Rocket's healing.
Drax, Nebula, and Mantis encounter hundreds of genetically engineered humanoid children on Arête before being captured. The other Guardians stage a rescue mission, leading to a battle against the High Evolutionary's forces. Kraglin fires on Arête with Knowhere, dooming Arête; he later saves Knowhere's citizens from an attack. Intent on retreat, the High Evolutionary's underlings mutiny, and he kills them. Drax, Nebula and Mantis face and befriend monstrous Abilisks to escape and reunite with Quill's group. The Guardians delay leaving Arête, choosing to rescue the children, who escape to Knowhere via Cosmo's telekinetic tunnel connecting Knowhere to Arête. Rocket discovers imprisoned animals on the ship before being attacked by the High Evolutionary, but the other Guardians help subdue him, and Rocket spares him.[d] The Guardians rescue the animals to Knowhere. Quill nearly dies trying to cross over but is saved by Adam, who had a change of heart after being saved by Groot from Arête.
In the aftermath, Quill leaves the Guardians, naming Rocket as captain; Quill travels to Earth to reunite with his grandfather Jason. Mantis embarks on a journey of self-discovery with the Abilisks, Gamora reunites with the Ravagers, and Nebula and Drax remain on Knowhere to raise the rescued children.
In a mid-credits scene, the new Guardians, consisting of Rocket, Groot, Cosmo, Kraglin, Adam, Phyla (one of the rescued children), and Adam's pet Blurp, take on a new mission.
Cast[edit]
- Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord:
The half-human, half-Celestial leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy who was abducted from Earth as a child and raised by a group of alien thieves and smugglers; the Ravagers.[6] In the film, Quill is in a "state of depression" following the appearance of a variant of his dead lover Gamora, who does not share the same affection for Quill as her older version had for him, which in turn affects his leadership of the Guardians.[7] - Zoe Saldaña as Gamora:
An orphan who seeks redemption for her past crimes, and was adopted and trained by Thanos to be his personal assassin.[6] The original version of Gamora, a member of the Guardians, was killed by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and an alternate version of the character traveled to the present in Avengers: Endgame (2019); Saldaña reprises the latter role in this film,[8][9] now serving as a leader of the Ravagers.[10] Saldaña stated that Vol. 3 would be the final time she would portray Gamora, noting that she originally signed to play her in one film and ended up playing the role for much longer, a role she was grateful to play due to the impact it especially had on female fans.[11] - Dave Bautista as Drax:
A member of the Guardians and a highly skilled warrior whose family was slaughtered by Ronan the Accuser, under the instructions of Thanos.[6] Bautista stated that Vol. 3 would be the final time he would portray Drax, having been grateful for the role, while still calling it a "relief" to have concluded his time with the character, given the long hours needed to get into makeup and hoping to pursue more dramatic acting roles.[12] Because of Bautista's decision, Gunn's opted not to include Drax in the post-credits scene.[13] - Karen Gillan as Nebula:
A member of the Guardians, a former Avenger, and Gamora's adoptive sister who, similarly to her, was trained by their adoptive father Thanos to be his personal assassin.[14] Gillan believed Nebula was developing into a "slightly different person" with more levity as she starts to heal psychologically following the death of Thanos, who was the source of her abuse and torment.[15] Vol. 3 fulfills a character arc for the character writer and director James Gunn envisioned when starting work on Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), going from a minor villain to a member of the Guardians.[16] Although the film teases a possible romance between Star-Lord and Nebula, Gunn denies having ever considered the two becoming a couple, though Gillan does believe she harbors a small crush on Quill.[13] - Pom Klementieff as Mantis: A member of the Guardians with empathic powers, and Quill's half-sister.[17]
- Vin Diesel as Groot: A member of the Guardians who is a tree-like humanoid and the accomplice of Rocket.[6]
- Bradley Cooper as Rocket:
A member of the Guardians and a former Avenger who is a genetically engineered raccoon-based bounty hunter and a master of weapons and military tactics.[6] Gunn said that the film tells Rocket's story, including his background and "where he's going", along with how that ties into the other Guardians and the end of this iteration of the team.[18] The film completes a character arc that was established in Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), and continued in Infinity War and Endgame.[19] Sean Gunn once again provided on set motion capture for the character, while also voicing young Rocket.[20] Cooper also voiced adolescent Rocket while Noah Raskin voiced baby Rocket.[21] - Will Poulter as Adam Warlock:
A powerful artificial being created by the Sovereign to destroy the Guardians.[22] Given Warlock is newly born from the Sovereign's cocoon, he is "basically a baby" that "does not understand life very well".[23] Poulter believed there was "a lot of comedy" in someone just entering the world for the first time and "trying to develop his moral compass", while also having "some genuine pathos".[7] Gunn thought Warlock's interactions with the Guardians provided "an interesting juxtaposition" to what their journey has been, and described him as a more traditional superhero compared to the Guardians, although not necessarily a hero.[24] - Sean Gunn as Kraglin: A member of the Guardians and Yondu Udonta's former second-in-command in the Ravagers.[25]
- Chukwudi Iwuji as the High Evolutionary:
A scientist specializing in creating hybrid creatures and Rocket's creator, seeking to forcibly enhance all living beings into a "special race".[7][26][27] Iwuji described the character as "narcissistic, sociopathic, but very charming", adding that there was "something very Shakespearean about him, there's something very emotionally dark about him, and he's a lot of fun on top of all that".[28] In preparation for the role, Iwuji listened to his character's taste for classical music in contrast to the American rock and pop music songs played in the film, allowing Iwuji to go back to his favorite arias and operas, like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro (1786) and Don Giovanni (1787).[29] Gunn likened the High Evolutionary to "a space version" of Doctor Moreau from Island of Lost Souls (1932), a film Gunn is a big fan of, calling him "a detestable character".[7] When asked by Rachel Lindsay of Extra about the character, Gunn referred to the High Evolutionary as the "cruelest MCU villain" to date the franchise has ever seen due to how he negatively impacts on the lives of Rocket and his fellow subject friends,[30] while Iwuji made sure along with Gunn to avoid giving the Evolutionary, at least intentionally, any sympathy unlike previous villains like Thanos or Killmonger, focusing under Gunn's orders on commenting in the character's single mindedness, narcissistic and zealous personality like the "most horrific" figures in history have been shown to be.[31] - Linda Cardellini as Lylla: An anthropomorphic otter who is an associate and friend of Rocket.[32] Cardellini provided both the voice and motion capture for Lylla, having previously played Laura Barton in previous MCU media.[33][34]
- Nathan Fillion as Master Karja: An orgosentry at Orgocorp.[35][36]
- Sylvester Stallone as Stakar Ogord: A high-ranking Ravager.[37]
Reprising their respective roles from previous Guardians films and/or The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022) are Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha, the golden High Priestess and the leader of the Sovereign people who had Adam Warlock created to destroy the Guardians;[38] Michael Rosenbaum as Martinex, a high-ranking Ravager;[39] Christopher Fairbank as the Broker;[40] Stephen Blackehart and Rhett Miller as Steemie and Bzermikitokolok, two denizens of Knowhere;[41][42] Gregg Henry as Quill's grandfather Jason;[43] and Michael Rooker as Yondu Udonta.[40] Maria Bakalova reprises her voice and motion capture role from the Holiday Special as Cosmo,[44][45] a member of the Guardians who is a sapient dog that developed psionic abilities after being sent into space by the Soviet Union.[46] Gunn changed Cosmo's gender from male, as depicted in the comics, to female for the film, as a tribute to the character's original inspiration, Laika, a Soviet space dog who became one of the first animals in space.[47] Cosmo was physically portrayed by dog actor Slate,[45] after also doing so for the Holiday Special,[48] and was previously portrayed by dog actor Fred in the first two Guardians films.[49][50] Tara Strong (who voiced Miss Minutes in the Disney+ series Loki) voices Mainframe, who was previously voiced by Miley Cyrus in Vol. 2.[51][52] Jared Gore provides motion capture for Krugarr, a Ravager who wields sorcery powers and speaks through his sorcery.[53]
Asim Chaudhry voices Teefs, an anthropomorphic walrus; Mikaela Hoover (who played Nova Prime's assistant in the first film) voices Floor, an anthropomorphic rabbit;[34] Daniela Melchior appears as Ura,[38][54] the receptionist at Orgocorp;[40] Miriam Shor and Nico Santos appear as Recorder Vim and Recorder Theel, respectively,[55] the scientifically minded henchmen of the High Evolutionary;[56] Jennifer Holland appears as Administrator Kwol,[57] a security employee of Orgocorp;[40] Kai Zen appears as Phyla, one of the High Evolutionary's alien child prisoners;[58] Judy Greer (who played Maggie Lang in the first two Ant-Man films) voices War Pig, a cyborg pig working for the High Evolutionary;[59] Reinaldo Faberlle voices Behemoth, a cyborg bird who also works for the High Evolutionary;[60] Dee Bradley Baker voices Blurp,[61] a furry F'saki that is an unnamed Ravager's pet;[62][63] and Dane DiLiegro appears as an octopus drug dealer on Counter-Earth (credited as Unsavory Octopus).[64] Cameos in the film include Lloyd Kaufman as Gridlemop and Pete Davidson as Phlektik, creations of the High Evolutionary,[65][66] and writer and director James Gunn as the voice of Lambshank, an experiment of the High Evolutionary.[67]
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