Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3is the 32nd overall entry in theMCU, and obviously the thirdGuardians of the Galaxymovie, too. Signs point to it being an emotional send-off to the characters, withVol. 3set to conclude a trilogy that began back in 2014, with all three movies being written and directed byJames Gunn. The characters who make up the titular squad instantly became some of the franchise’s most beloved, and have thrived in their own movies and a handful of crossovers in the years since that firstGuardiansfilm.
At this point, the MCU has become an admittedly unwieldy beast. Die-hard fans may say all previous movies (and TV shows) should be watched beforeGuardians 3, but that’s just not feasible for everyone. For anyone wanting a refresher before the thirdGuardiansmovie, the following titles are all worth a watch (or re-watch), given they either feature theGuardians of the Galaxycharacters, or otherwise capture the tone/energy of Gunn’s films.
10’The Avengers' (2012)
It may look quaint now, butThe Avengerswas a huge deal back in 2012. It served as a finale for Marvel’s first phase, and was built towards over the course of five movies, all released between 2008 and 2011. Putting six different heroes in a single movie seemed like a big risk, but it paid off wonderfully, and showed that superhero team-ups on the big screen could work.
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And it’s that dynamic that ended up working wonders for theGuardians of the Galaxymovies, too. Admittedly, that franchise had an even tougher task, given most of the Avengers were at least introduced in prior movies, but for being the first MCU movie with a team of heroes (and all the bickering that comes with that),The Avengershelped pave the way forGuardians.
9’Guardians of the Galaxy' (2014)
It’s a no-brainer to revisit theGuardiansmovie that started it all when preparing forVol. 3. 2014’sGuardians of the Galaxywas a surprise hit, and brought science-fiction to the MCU to an even greater extent than before, being an early Marvel movie that spent very little time on Earth.
It was also an introduction to theGuardians of the Galaxycharacters for most people, given they’d been relatively obscure characters before 2014. It made the characters instantly endearing, told an engaging story, had a killer soundtrack, and instantly established James Gunn as one of the most distinctive creative voices working for the MCU.
8’Avengers: Age of Ultron' (2015)
While it might have been a slight step-down from the firstAvengersmovie, 2015’sAge of Ultronstill worked in enough areas to be a mostly successful follow-up. It hit the ground running, with the team already established in the first movie, and introduced both the titular villain and a handful of new super-powered characters into the fold.
In 2015, it wasn’t time for the Guardians of the Galaxy to cross over just yet, but it was approaching. After all, Hulk himself travels to space at the film’s end, and Thanos is also seen preparing to get personally involved in a mid-credits scene, with both moments highlighting that the Earth characters are soon going to clash with those in space, and vice versa.
7’Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' (2017)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2takes an interesting route for a sequel. It’s less about upping external stakes and having bigger action and more spectacle (though there is still a decent amount of that), and more about exploring its characters in more depth, and putting them through more emotional turmoil than they faced in their first movie.
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It also thrives from having a much better villain than the first movie, withKurt Russellplaying Ego the Living Planet to perfection, and being a great antagonist for his son, Peter Quill, in particular. As was the case with the firstGuardiansmovie, revisitingVol. 2beforeVol. 3’srelease feels like a no-brainer.
6’Thor: Ragnarok' (2017)
Admittedly,Thor: Ragnarokdoesn’t have a huge deal in common narratively with any of theGuardiansmovies, and the two don’t exactly cross over. It can be helpful to know where Thor is at this film’s end, seeing as the nextAvengersmovie has him meeting the Guardians while in space, but the two worlds don’t collide in this film by any means.
Yet tonally,Ragnarokhas similarities to theGuardiansmovies. This thirdThorfilm stands out for being largely comedic without being a total parody or anything, and balancing its jokes and silly moments with solid action and a few emotional moments. TheGuardiansfilms tend to try and do the same, makingThor: Ragnaroka good movie to watch forGuardiansfans who want something sort of similar.
5’Avengers: Infinity War' (2018)
Avengers: Infinity Waris the darkest andmost emotionally taxing movie in the MCUto date, and it’s hard to imagine things getting much bleaker than this one. It centers on Thanos finally getting around to seizing the various Infinity Stones for himself, and spending the film getting closer and closer to achieving his goal of halving the universe’s population.
This is the first time the Guardians of the Galaxy find themselves crossing over with other heroes from the MCU, and they’re a core part of what makes the overall movie so great. ThoughGunn himself might not have agreedwith some of the things the Guardians did, it’s still an important milestone for the characters from his films, and, naturally, an important entry in the overall MCU.
4’Avengers: Endgame' (2019)
A lengthy and epic finalefor the first three phases of the MCU,Avengers: Endgamewas an impressive achievement from a writing and technical perspective. Even if it’s not the very best film from the series so far, it’s easily one of the most significant, if not the most significant, resolvingInfinity War’sdevastating ending and bidding farewell to several beloved characters who’d been MCU staples since the start.
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For much of the movie, Rocket - and Nebula, if she counts - are the only two Guardians around after Thanos' snap, though the others appear in the climactic battle. As such, the group dynamic that makes theGuardiansmovies great isn’t really present, but since they appear here - and depart for further adventures at the end - it might be worth a re-watch.
3’I Am Groot' (2022)
Sure,I Am Grootdoesn’t exactly count as a movie by anyone’s definition. It’s a miniseries with an emphasis on the “mini,” being comprised of five short episodes that all center on Baby Groot having various low-stakes adventures, with each running for about five to six minutes in length.
That means the entire thing can be finished in half an hour, but with it being such a small commitment, it’s hard to think of an excuse not to watch it beforeVol. 3. It’s unlikely to tie into future movies admittedly, but it’s a nice way to spend a little more time with everyone’s favorite pint-sized talking tree.
2’Thor: Love and Thunder' (2022)
Though it was adisappointing entry in an uneven Phase 4, it has to be begrudgingly admitted thatThor: Love and Thunderdoes tie into the Guardians of the Galaxy and their overall story. They’re with Thor at the start of the movie, but part ways after no more than a couple of scenes, with their appearance amounting to an extended cameo.
It’s even more disappointing considering that they don’t really feel like the characters people love, and it’s baffling to an even greater extent because of how much fun Thor and the Guardians being together duringInfinity Warwas. For completionists,Thor: Love and Thunderis one of the last times we see the Guardians beforeVol. 3, but more casual fans may want to steer clear of a revisit.
1’The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special' (2022)
Abrief, silly, and mostly entertaining one-offspecial,The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Specialis a decent addition to the overallGuardiansseries. It runs for a little over 40 minutes, and follows Drax and Mantis as they attempt to kidnapKevin Baconand bring him to Peter Quill as a Christmas gift.
It works as an isolated story with lowered stakes and a holiday theme, but there are aspects to the storyline that will likely prove important toVol. 3, including Peter’s heartbreak about Gamora and their purchasing of Knowhere. LikeI Am Groot, its brevity makes it easy to revisit before watchingVol. 3.
