Like every other major studio, Marvel Studios has struggled to rebound after the pandemic. Last year's MCU offerings did fine (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was one of 2022's biggest hits), but Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania recently underperformed following mixed reviews.
The expectation now is that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will help the franchise, which launched in 2008 with Iron Man, rebound after a hit-and-miss Phase 4.
According to Box Office Pro, the upcoming threequel is currently eyeing a domestic debut of $120 million - $155 million, with an estimated $288 million - $403 million by the end of its run in North American theaters. It's important to note that these are very early predictions and tracking won't become clearer until much nearer Vol. 3's release.
However, should the movie land somewhere near that $155 million mark, it will score the Guardians franchise's biggest opening weekend, topping Vol. 2's $146.5 million in 2017.
There's a huge amount of excitement for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 among fans, and with it being billed as the end of an era for this series, there's bound to be plenty of interest from causal moviegoers as well.
Marvel Studios has not topped $1 billion at the box office since 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home. Prior to that, it was Spider-Man: Far From Home in 2019, though both of those co-productions with Sony Pictures. That means the studio hasn't delivered a movie that's grossed over $1 billion since Avengers: Endgame.
In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, our beloved band of misfits are looking a bit different these days. Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him to defend the universe along with protecting one of their own. A mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 arrives in theaters on May 5, 2023.