Though Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 didn't quite manage to hit initial $120 million domestic estimates with a still impressive $116 million opening weekend, James Gunn's MCU swansong has surpassed global expectations.
According to Deadline, Marvel Studios' second Phase 5 film has added $168 million overseas, for a worldwide total of $282 million. This ranks as the 50th highest global debut ever.
Some analysts are still beating the "superhero fatigue" drum, but much better reviews (it's now "Certified Fresh" on RT with 81% and a 95% audience score) than Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and positive word-of-mouth should keep butts in seats for another while - although Vol. 3 will soon face very stiff competition from the likes of Fast X and The Little Mermaid, so we'll just have to see if its legs hold strong.
Something that could work against the movie, however, is the growing perception that it's far from the usual family-friendly MCU fare, with parents being advised to reconsider bringing young children to see it.
Have you been to see GOTG Vol. 3 yet? If so, what did you think? Drop us a comment down below.
"In Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 our beloved band of misfits are settling into life on Knowhere. But it isn’t long before their lives are upended by the echoes of Rocket’s turbulent past." "Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him on a dangerous mission to save Rocket’s life—a mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them."
Gunn writes and directs Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, featuring Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Will Poulter, and Maria Bakalova. Kevin Feige is the producer and Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Nikolas Korda, Simon Hatt, and Sara Smith serve as executive producers.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 arrives in theaters on May 5, 2023.