James Gunn Confirms ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Will Avoid the MCU’s Most Tired Trope

Marvel Studios likes to promote each of its movies and TV shows as possessing a unique flavor, and to some extent that is true, but it’s also fair to say that most MCU projects follow the same template. A villain rises up, threatens the world and/or the universe, and the hero defeats them. Rinse and repeat. As we head into Phase Five, it seems folks are starting to tire of this formula, however, so it’s intriguing to hear that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be diverging from this tried-and-tested routine in one key way.

While speaking to Empire Magazine, writer/director James Gunn summed up the surprisingly personal stakes of the incoming threequel in one snappy sentence, promising that this film is “not about saving the universe – it’s about the Guardians saving themselves.” From this comment, we can presumably extrapolate that arch-foe the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) will not pose any kind of apocalyptic threat but will instead threaten the lives of the cosmic heroes.

It’s interesting to note that this revelation comes just days after Gunn opened up on his own feelings about the superhero fatigue debate, admitting that the genre can get “really boring” if filmmakers get lost in the “spectacle” of comic book fiction and forget to provide an “emotionally grounded story.” Clearly, this was a concern he had while making Guardians 3 and he sought to combat that by doing away with the whole “planet in jeopardy” plot altogether.

While the first Guardians saw Ronan try to destroy Xandar and Ego attempted his universal Expansion in Vol. 2, the highlight of these films was certainly how the characters themselves were impacted by these events so the indication that the third movie will increase the focus on the team’s personal stakes is an exciting one. Even if it only adds fuel to the expectation that at least one heartbreaking death is coming.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 opens in theaters on May 5.

via Marvel Studios

Marvel Studios likes to promote each of its movies and TV shows as possessing a unique flavor, and to some extent that is true, but it’s also fair to say that most MCU projects follow the same template. A villain rises up, threatens the world and/or the universe, and the hero defeats them. Rinse and repeat. As we head into Phase Five, it seems folks are starting to tire of this formula, however, so it’s intriguing to hear that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be diverging from this tried-and-tested routine in one key way.

While speaking to Empire Magazine, writer/director James Gunn summed up the surprisingly personal stakes of the incoming threequel in one snappy sentence, promising that this film is “not about saving the universe – it’s about the Guardians saving themselves.” From this comment, we can presumably extrapolate that arch-foe the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) will not pose any kind of apocalyptic threat but will instead threaten the lives of the cosmic heroes.

It’s interesting to note that this revelation comes just days after Gunn opened up on his own feelings about the superhero fatigue debate, admitting that the genre can get “really boring” if filmmakers get lost in the “spectacle” of comic book fiction and forget to provide an “emotionally grounded story.” Clearly, this was a concern he had while making Guardians 3 and he sought to combat that by doing away with the whole “planet in jeopardy” plot altogether.

While the first Guardians saw Ronan try to destroy Xandar and Ego attempted his universal Expansion in Vol. 2, the highlight of these films was certainly how the characters themselves were impacted by these events so the indication that the third movie will increase the focus on the team’s personal stakes is an exciting one. Even if it only adds fuel to the expectation that at least one heartbreaking death is coming.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 opens in theaters on May 5.