In May, Marvel Studios continued Phase 5 with the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. This is the final time that we see the ragtag loveable group as we know them, with the movie being the last in James Gunn’s trilogy. If you want to know more, here’s what you should know about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, including where to stream it.
When will Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 be streaming on Disney+?
As per tradition, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to make its streaming debut a few months after its cinema release.
Disney has confirmed that GotG 3 will be available for streaming on Disney+ from Wednesday, August 2. You can expect it to be available from around 5:00 pm AEST.
You can read our review of the movie here.
Who are the Guardians of the Galaxy?
If you’re unfamiliar, the Guardians of the Galaxy were introduced into the MCU in their first self-titled movie in 2014.
The core group consists of Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord, Groot, Gamora, Rocket and Drax. In later films, Mantis, Nebula and Kraglin also become regulars in the team.
The Guardians are a misfit team of slightly goofy personalities who quickly bonded to become a family against the odds and they gallivant around the galaxy defending the universe.
They’ve had three solo outings (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 and the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special) and have also appeared in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame as well as a brief appearance in Thor: Love and Thunder. Groot also pioneered his own series of animated shorts in I Am Groot.
What’s happening in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?
When we last saw the Guardians, they had parted ways with their temporary ‘Asguardian’, Thor, and in the Holiday Special, we learned they’d set up shop on Knowhere.
The synopsis for the film reveals this:
In Marvel Studios 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.
The Guardians of the Galaxy were brought to the screen by James Gunn, who has directed the team in all of their solo movies as well as the Holiday Special. Guardians 3 will be the last in Gunn’s Guardians trilogy as the director has taken a leading role at DC.
So, what exactly can we expect from the characters in their third outing? When Lifehacker Australia attended the virtual press conference for Guardians of the Galaxy 3 – this is what we found out:
1. Peter Quill and Gamora’s relationship
Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, we know that the Gamora we’ve come to know and love was killed by Thanos, but a variant from another universe is still out there.
According to Chris Pratt, this has pretty big ramifications for his character, Peter Quill.
“I think, oftentimes, we find ourselves in our relationships or in the affiliations we have with a team or a family or whatever,” he said during the press conference.
“He’s a guy who’s constantly been searching for who he is, and then he found it again in his relationship with Gamora. And so, when that’s stripped away from him, he’s a guy who’s realising that all of these various people that he’s found… none of them have been the real him. And so, he’s lost.”
2. Nebula is part of the team now
After sitting in opposition to the Guardians in their initial two movies, Nebula eventually came to the heroes’ side to fight Thanos and has essentially filled the gap her sister, Gamora, left in the team – albeit with a little more rage.
“Post-Thanos being eliminated from her life, she’s starting to flourish a little bit more and she’s starting to have a lighter personality and she’s a little more willing to show vulnerability,” Karen Gillan said of her character.
“I guess she evolved and Gamora kind of helped her gain some compassion along the way. And now they’ve kind of switched places, in a way.”
3. Why Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is unique
If you’ve seen any Guardians of the Galaxy movies you’ll know they’re not your typical Avengers, and Marvel Studios head, Kevin Feige, agrees:
“Guardians really was the first movie that was completely outside of the realm. It tied in with Thanos and Infinity Stones, but The Avengers were not in it,” he said during the press conference.
“We wanted to do… a big space movie, and it worked in a crazy way. It worked entirely because of James Gunn. So, it just feels like this trilogy, and James writing and directing all three of them, it represents something unique within the pantheon of the MCU.”
4. Let’s meet the new characters
Guardians of the Galaxy 3 introduces a number of new characters, most importantly Adam Warlock and the film’s villain, the High Evolutionary.
Chukwudi Iwuji describes the High Evolutionary as a “villain with a god complex” who is “born with a silver spoon in his mouth”. The character is hell-bent on creating a perfect society in the film, so that information tracks.
Will Poulter plays another famous comic book character come to life in Adam Warlock. Poulter said that similarities between himself and Warlock mainly came down to their newness to the world.
“I was the new kid on the block arriving on this set. Very much like how Adam Warlock was kind of arriving into the world, trying to sort of find his way and work out the rules.”
Elsewhere there’s also Cosmo, the talking space dog, who has been introduced in prior Marvel adventures but really becomes more of a major player in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Perhaps adding to the uniqueness of Cosmo is that she is played by Maria Bakalova, who even performed as a dog on-set in mo-cap as part of her role.
“When I found out that I can be on set and work with a mo-cap suit, and imagine that I’m a child again and use my imagination to be like, “Okay, today I’m going to be a dog…” she explained “It’s interesting, we tend to forget about imagination when we grow up, and it’s been just incredible.”
Enjoy the trailers
Marvel revealed some previews of footage from Guardians of the Galaxy 3 at both San Diego Comic-Con and D23, but it was at CCXP that the official trailer was made public.
Please enjoy.
As expected, the trailer promises plenty of sci-fi spacefaring action, classic James Gunn humour and an epic soundtrack.
One character that stands out, in particular, is Rocket Raccoon, who we see as a LIL BABY in this trailer. I love him. I will die for him. More, please.
If you missed it in the Holiday Special, Groot is also swole now.
The trailer also gives a quick look at Adam Warlock, the High Evolutionary and what looks to be Lylla, aka Rocket’s Otter soulmate from the comics. Love that for him.
A second trailer released at the 2023 Super Bowl gave a better idea of Rocket’s backstory. He was caught up in the High Evolutionary’s sacred mission to “create the perfect society”.
There’s a shot of lil baby Rocket on an operating chair and I swear I will hurt anyone who touches him.
Who is in the team?
As you’d expect, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Sean Gunn, Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper all reprise their roles in Guardians of the Galaxy 3. Maria Bakalova also returns to voice Cosmo the Spacedog.
New this time around are Chukwudi Iwuji as the High Evolutionary and Will Poulter as Adam Warlock.
Elizabeth Debicki (Ayesha) and Sylvester Stallone (Stakar Ogord) are also returning as their characters from previous iterations.
The movie is written and directed by James Gunn.
When was Guardians of the Galaxy 3 released?
Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 was released in Australian cinemas on May 4, 2023. Wait a minute… wasn’t that Star Wars Day? I suppose you could call this Marvel’s Star Wars.
If you need advice on what movies you should watch prior to this one, we’ve collected all the essential films for you.
This article has been updated since its original publication date.
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