The plot begins after the events of the previous films. The Guardians have set up their headquarters on Knowhere. Peter Quill mourns the death of Gamora. One night they are attacked by Adam Warlock, a warrior created by the High Priestess Ayesha. Rocket is badly injured, and the Guardians must search for a way to treat his injuries, as a killswitch lock in his chest prevents this. Their search leads them to the Orgosphere, the headquarters of Orgocorp, in the hope of finding an override code. As the movie progresses, the Guardians are confronted with Rocket's menacing past and must face the High Evolutionary.
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Background
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a 2023 American science fiction action film directed by James Gunn. It is the final sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) and is the 32nd feature film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Planning for a third Guardians film began back in March 2017, and in April of the same year, James Gunn confirmed his return as director and screenwriter. He announced that the third installment would conclude the Guardians of the Galaxy story and that the three films would act as a trilogy.
Filming was originally scheduled to begin in early 2019, but was significantly delayed. In July 2018, Gunn was fired by Disney after older tweets from him resurfaced. Production was put on hold, but after a statement from the Guardians cast in Gunn's support, he was reinstated as director in March 2019.
The coronavirus pandemic led to further delays, and filming finally began at the end of 2021. The film was released in US cinemas on May 5, 2023. James Gunn emphasized that he wanted to return to his horror roots in this film, especially in the depiction of Rocket Raccoon's disturbing backstory, which contains body horror elements and could almost make the film a horror film. This led to a trigger warning for younger viewers, as the scenes involving the High Evolutionary and the violence against animals could be perceived as disturbing.
The score was composed by John Murphy. The film was nominated for several VES Awards in 2024 and won awards for Best Animated Character in a Photorealistic Feature Film (Rocket) and Best Virtual Cinematography.