Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3

It is the sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), and the 32nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Written and directed by James Gunn, it features an ensemble cast including Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Will Poulter, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Linda Cardellini, Nathan Fillion, and Sylvester Stallone. In the film, the Guardians must save Rocket’s (Cooper) life from the High Evolutionary (Iwuji).

Gunn stated in November 2014 that he had initial ideas for a third and final film in the series, and announced his return to write and direct in April 2017. Disney fired him from the film in July 2018 following the resurfacing of controversial posts on Twitter, but the studio reversed course by that October and reinstated him.

Gunn’s return was publicly revealed in March 2019, with production resuming after he completed work for DC on The Suicide Squad (2021) and the first season of its spin-off series Peacemaker (2022). Filming began in November 2021 at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, and lasted until May 2022.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 premiered at Disneyland Paris on April 22, 2023, and was released in the United States on May 5, as part of Phase Five of the MCU. Like its predecessors, it was a critical and commercial success, with many deeming it to be a satisfactory conclusion to the trilogy. It grossed over $845.6 million worldwide, becoming the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2023. At the 96th Academy Awards, the film was nominated for Best Visual Effects.

After critically wounding Rocket, Adam is stabbed by Nebula and flees. The Guardians’ med-packs are ineffective at healing Rocket’s wounds, due to a kill switch embedded in him by the organization Orgocorp. The Guardians travel to Orgocorp’s headquarters to find the switch’s override code and save Rocket’s life.

As Rocket lies unconscious, he recalls his past. He was found as a baby raccoon and was experimented on by the High Evolutionary, Orgocorp’s leader, who sought to enhance and anthropomorphize animal lifeforms, known as Humanimals, to create an ideal society called Counter-Earth. Rocket befriended his fellow Batch 89 test subjects: the otter Lylla, the walrus Teefs, and the rabbit Floor.

The High Evolutionary was impressed by Rocket’s growing intelligence and used his insight to fix a defect in later Humanimal batches. However, he became envious of Rocket’s intellect and planned to harvest his brain for further research before exterminating the obsolete Batch 89. Rocket attempted to free his friends, but the High Evolutionary killed Lylla and mocked Rocket for showing grief over her death. Enraged, Rocket mauled the High Evolutionary, whose henchmen killed Teefs and Floor in the ensuing firefight. Rocket fled in a spaceship.

In the present, an alternate version of Gamora, who has joined the Ravagers, helps the Guardians infiltrate Orgocorp. They retrieve Rocket’s file but discover that the code was removed by Theel, one of the High Evolutionary’s advisors. The Guardians, along with Gamora, depart for Counter-Earth to find him. They are followed by Ayesha and Adam after the High Evolutionary, their race’s creator, threatened to wipe out the Sovereign if they fail to retrieve Rocket.

The Guardians reach Counter-Earth and are guided to the Arête Laboratories complex. Drax and Mantis remain with Gamora and Rocket, while Peter Quill, Groot, and Nebula travel to Arête. Nebula is forced to wait outside by guards due to her cybernetic enhancements; Quill and Groot enter Arête, while Drax tricks Mantis into pursuing Quill’s group. Gamora saves Rocket from Adam and the High Evolutionary’s guard War Pig.

Questioned by Quill, the High Evolutionary admits this version of Counter-Earth’s society is imperfect, so he bombards the planet, killing the Humanimals as well as Ayesha. Arête departs as a spaceship, with Nebula, Drax, and Mantis boarding to rescue Quill and Groot. However, the latter pair escape Arête with Theel, who they kill before retrieving the code from his corpse.

They are rescued by Gamora in their ship. As Quill’s group uses the code, Rocket flatlines and has a near-death experience in which he reunites with Lylla, Teefs, and Floor. He learns from Lylla that his time has not yet come, as Quill succeeds in disabling the kill switch and restarting Rocket’s heart.

Drax, Nebula, and Mantis encounter several genetically modified humanoid children on Arête, the High Evolutionary’s next batch of test subjects, before being captured. The other Guardians stage a rescue, leading to a battle against the High Evolutionary’s forces. Kraglin fires on Arête with Knowhere and then helps to save Knowhere’s citizens from a counter-attack by the High Evolutionary’s Hellspawn.

Intent on retreat, the High Evolutionary’s crew mutiny but are killed by their leader. Drax, Nebula, and Mantis befriend three monstrous Abilisks to escape and reunite with the rest of the Guardians. The Guardians delay leaving Arête, choosing to rescue the children, who escape to Knowhere via a tunnel constructed by Cosmo’s telekinesis.

Rocket discovers imprisoned animals on the ship and is confronted by the High Evolutionary, whom the other Guardians defeat. Rocket spares the High Evolutionary, and the Guardians help the animals escape to Knowhere. Quill nearly dies trying to cross over from Arête to Knowhere, but is saved by Adam who had earlier been rescued from the destruction of Arête by Groot.

Quill decides to leave the Guardians, names Rocket as the new captain, and reunites with his grandfather on Earth. Mantis embarks on a journey of self-discovery with the Abilisks, Gamora rejoins the Ravagers, and Nebula and Drax remain on Knowhere to raise the rescued children. In a mid-credits scene, the new Guardians—Rocket, Groot, Kraglin, Cosmo, Adam, Phyla (one of the rescued children), and Adam’s pet Blurp—take on a mission.