The early reactions for James Gunn’s Marvel swan song, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, are here, and so far it has been lavished with high praise. The sequel has been labeled ‘Marvel’s best’ and even put on the same magnificent pedestal currently occupied by Avengers: Endgame. But these compliments haven’t exactly bumped up the fandom’s faith in the MCU — it actually has served to kick it down several notches.
Gunn has always been MCU’s reliable right hand when it comes to expecting assured success. His Guardians of the Galaxy films occupy a glorious niche of their own and based on the director’s admissions as well as the sequel’s cast members, the third volume is expected to drag the cinematic universe from the deeper depths of the critically-bashed-plots hell it has been dragged to ever since Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania redefined disappointment.
Ever since Phase Four kickstarted, it has constantly managed to prove that Endgame was also the end of the wonderful plots the MCU could churn out. Every time it felt like a project managed to stabilize its balance, the one after it made sure to kick its wobbly feet from under it. It certainly didn’t help when fans, who had been hankering for a good villain since Thanos, received lukewarm or quickly dispatched baddies like the Clandestines, Gorr the God Butcher, Mandarin, etc.
Then came Quantamania and the lofty promises of Kang the Conqueror making the destruction caused by Thanos look like child’s play — we all know how that played out. So, not only has Ant-Man 3 kickstarted Phase Five with a sad whimper and debuted the most underwhelming villain ever, but it has also cemented the belief that when a Marvel project is lauded way too much, it means it is going to sorely disappoint thrice as much. And evidently, the months separating it from GotG Vol. 3 — and the fact that Marvel already has a new controversy dooming another hyped film — has only strengthened the belief.
Seeing that Phase Four and the beginning of Phase Five hasn’t even managed to skim the surface of the magnificence that was Endgame, fans couldn’t help but point out that the upcoming film is probably praised for accomplishing the bare minimum past projects failed to achieve.
Some are holding on to tentative hope even though the MCU has broken their trust with insulting ease.
A few couldn’t help but state bitter facts the studio is actively avoiding acknowledging.
It remains to be seen if Gunn pulled a Taika Waititi and spoiled his own reputation by messing up his passion project or whether he truly is going to single-handedly saved the drowning MCU when it rolls into theatres this May 5.