Credit: Inside the MagicWith aggregate rating websites like Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb, and Letterboxd existing in the world, it seems that audiences and critics now have a more open place to combat one another about what movies truly deserve poor ratings or now. That is certainly the case for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which has achieved a huge MCU record.
Related: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Box Office Figures Blasts Off to a Hot Start
There have been some issues with the latest Marvel releases, mainly Thor: Love and Thunder and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. Whereas those two releases should have been hits, they failed to impress most fans, leaving many to believe that the MCU has been stuck in this dreaded “superhero fatigue.”
This fatigue has been brought on by the MCU releasing a ridiculous amount of shows and movies in Phase 4, which Disney CEO Bob Iger took issue with. He stated during an earnings call that Marvel would right the ship by focusing on “quality over quantity.” This also resulted in Marvel shuffling its release schedule and bringing in more expensive and established writers for its upcoming projects.
Despite the issues that the MCU has seen lately, fans and critics are starting to be reminded about what made Marvel so special. The profoundly emotional and action-packed MCU movies that were missed seem to have culminated in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
The actors have stated how many times they cried their eyes out during the final chapter of James Gunn’s Universe, which we agree also happens to us. We will not divulge any spoilers in this article, but we will see that the new film is something that the MCU has been missing.
Audiences also love the film, as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 currently holds an impressive 95% audience approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. While that is not the highest rating for a Marvel movie on that particular website, the new sequel has achieved a huge record on Letterboxd.
#GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol3 debuts with a 4.2 rating on Letterboxd. 🦝 pic.twitter.com/Wp9AtZz35x
— Letterboxd (@letterboxd) May 5, 2023
Out of the entire MCU catalog, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 is now the highest-rated Marvel film on the rating site. It currently sits at a 4.2/5. This number is good enough to snag the #1 spot from everything else that Marvel has released thus far.
The caveat to that is Spider-Man: No Way Home is at 4.3/5, but since Sony distributes it and not exactly a full MCU release, it does not count in this grand scheme.
In comparison, the first Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) holds a 3.8/5, and Vol. 2 (2017) has a 3.5/5 rating. Even more impressive is that Vol. 3 is the 32nd release under the MCU banner, but it now holds the top spot.
People consistently argue about the accuracy of Rotten Tomatoes, especially the discrepancy that can exist between critic and audience numbers. However, Letterboxd is arguably the more accurate consensus for audiences, as it primarily represents the community of people who are not professional critics. Simply put, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a huge hit.
Related: 10 Best Music Moments in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’, Ranked
The final chapter of James Gunn’s epic is in theaters right now. See it, and decide for yourself if it’s the best that Marvel has been. However, don’t forget to bring your tissues.
Do you think Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the best MCU movie? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!