Final 'Guardians' Installment Receives Top Scores in Early Reviews

The final installment of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3 (2023), releases in theaters next week and has been highly anticipated by fans for months. As several other MCU projects have been delayed and Marvel deals with its disappointing start to Phase Five, the Guardians movie seems to be exactly what the studio needed to get back on track.

The Guardians were last seen in Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), travelling with Thor for a short time before heading back off on their own. Volume 3 is set to focus on Peter trying to reconnect with Gamora after losing her during the fight with Thanos. The culmination of the Guardian’s story has been anticipated for years, and according to early reviews of the film, it delivers in every way possible.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) debuted with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 43%, making it the worst-rated MCU movie in history. In comparison, Volume 3 has debuted with an initial critics score of 91%, and reviews on Twitter are much of the same. The Hollywood Handle (@hollywoodhandle) says the film “gives the franchise the perfect ending with an emotional story, good cgi, and a TERRIFIC villain.”

‘GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL 3’ debuts with 91% on Rotten Tomatoes from 32 reviews.

Read our review: https://t.co/tQDMetlVNF pic.twitter.com/tMJvXcX6rb

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) April 28, 2023

Scott Menzel, founder of We Live Entertainment (@ScottDMenzel), claims the film could “quite possibly be my new favorite Marvel movie. This movie worked for me on every single level. It’s emotional, funny, and action packed,” and reminds fans why the characters are so loved. Andrew Salazar, co-owner and editor of DiscussingFilm (@AndrewJ626), claims it has “the most heart & soul from any MCU film in a long time…you’re going to need tissues, but not for the reasons you’re expecting.” Erik Davis, contributor for Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes (@ErikDavis), says the film “is beautiful & badass – an awesome conclusion to a damn epic trilogy.”

Other Tweets shared similar sentiments, claiming that Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3 is the most satisfying end to a trilogy in decades and praising James Gunn for returning to the MCU and giving fans and the characters a well-deserved ending. With initial reviews already so overwhelmingly positive, this could be the MCU’s Hail Mary, helping them back into fans’ good graces after a flopped Phase Five introduction.

Are you excited to see Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments!