If you really sit down and think about the journey of Marvel’s most ragtag band of heroes, the path to get to Vol. 3 is a roller coaster. 9 years ago, a film about characters that few outside of the hardcore comic fandom knew about released to rave reviews and financial success that no one could’ve predicted. And just 3 years after that the sequel came to continue the weirdest superhero franchise (at the time).
But between then and now, the characters have featured in two massive Avengers films, the director was fired (and promptly re-hired), and the MCU’s entire trajectory has shifted drastically. And yet, the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise soldiers on, becoming one of the best comic book movie trilogies to date.