For all the MCU’s peaks and troughs, only one trilogy has kept us hooked on a feeling: Guardians of the Galaxy. In other words, “I am Groot.”
James Gunn had an idea: to bring together a group of not-so-remarkable a-holes, Z-listers unknown beyond their niche comic book devotees who had no right leading a summer blockbuster. It was a crazy gamble, arguably the biggest of Kevin Feige’s tenure — but in 2014, it paid off big time.
Vol. 1 was a pop-cultural moment; the taste-shifting, trend-setting ‘70s jukebox playlist, buff Chris Pratt, and the fact it was the best space opera this side of Star Wars’ original trilogy. It was also further proof-of-concept for the overarching franchise; it didn’t need big tentpole heroes all the time — build a good movie, and they will come.
Yet, the Guardians never tried to conquer the Marvel Cinematic Universe: in each movie in the trilogy, they perfected it.
Guardians of the Galaxy eclipses other MCU trilogies
The MCU has standout moments: Captain America finally wielding Mjölnir, the ‘Portals’ walkout, Iron Man fighting Cap and Bucky, that first 360 shot around the Avengers, Hulk flinging Loki around like a wet tracksuit, Thor and Loki’s “get help!” routine. But as films — cinematic experiences that still thrive with and without nodding to other entries — the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy is easily the best we’ve had, the result of Feige putting his faith in a visionary like Gunn rather than the Marvel brain trust (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, I’m looking at you).
That’s not to say other trilogies are outright bad, but they have notable drawbacks: Iron Man 2 is little more than a retread of Tony Stark’s arc to set up The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World may be the most forgettable superhero movie ever made (I’ve watched it six times, I could barely tell you a thing about it), and Captain America: Civil War is brilliant, easily among the best movies in the MCU — but let’s be honest with ourselves: it’s Avengers 2.0., and the Russo Brothers’ sludgy direction isn’t exactly a plus either.
Lyla told Rocket there’s the hands that made us, and there’s the hands that guide the hands. Gunn is both, chiefly responsible for ensuring each Guardians’ volume had standalone appeal as well as bigger throughlines that always pay off. He also came up with the lore for the Infinity Stones — the mega-MacGuffins woven into the fabric of the first saga — in 90 minutes. “Everything’s based on that… and I just made up this bullsh*t,” he earlier joked.
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Put simply, Guardians of the Galaxy is the most cohesive trilogy, emotionally and plot-wise; even when Infinity War and Endgame put Gunn and co. in a difficult spot, they found a way through, resolving Peter and Gamora’s tragic love story in a way that hurt more than we’d ever imagine. “I bet we were fun.”
They only got better as they went along. Vol. 1 established the trilogy’s offbeat, lovable heroes with undeniable style and heart, setting the tone before Vol. 2 upped the ante; the songs were better, the jokes were funnier, it had Kurt Russell’s Ego in a masterstroke of casting, and the ending remains an absolute whopper. “He may have been your father, boy, but he wasn’t your daddy.”
Yes, Vol. 3 is the best because it has everything: heart, laughs, tears, a banging soundtrack, thrills, stunning visuals, an all-time villain in Chukwudi Iwuji’s despicable High Evolutionary, and heartbreaking stakes. But above all else, it hit home how much we’d all miss them; it wasn’t just Gunn’s curtain call; it was a farewell to what an uncompromised MCU could achieve, one that dared to take character-driven stories into the forever and beautiful sky.
They fooled around, but we were the ones who fell in love.
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