On May 5th, the “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” celebrated its one-year anniversary since its release in the United States. Director James Gunn recalled his journey as the director of the “Guardians of the Galaxy” trilogy, reminiscing about the cast and crew with tears in his eyes, expressing his love and longing for everyone that made the experience so special.
Since the release of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” in the United States in May 2023, director James Gunn parted ways with Marvel Studios and moved to DC Studios as co-chairman and co-CEO, delving into the development of films in the DC Extended Universe (DCU). Now, on the one-year anniversary of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” 56-year-old Gunn took to social media to reveal his heartache due to missing his cinematic family members.
Gunn expressed, “One year ago today, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ premiered in the United States, and as I sit here, tears fill my eyes. It has been such a wonderful journey with so many incredible people. We supported each other and will continue to do so forever. Although some of us have gone our separate ways like the Guardians of the Galaxy, the love still remains, and we are still a family. I miss all of you, love you all, and the pain is deep.”
Fans responded with messages like, “I miss Rocket Raccoon,” “Watching this movie a year ago was the most wonderful experience in the cinema for me. I still remember every detail as if it happened yesterday. Thank you for creating my favorite trilogy of movies,” and “Definitely in the top three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies.”
Some key characters from the Guardians of the Galaxy may continue to appear in other MCU films, but Gunn will not be able to return to direct another “Guardians of the Galaxy” film. Since taking on the role of executive at DC, Gunn has been busy with the production of a new “Superman” film, the first movie in the new DC Extended Universe blueprint.
Last month, Zoe Saldana, who plays Gamora in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Avengers” series, mentioned in an interview on “The Discourse” radio show, “I think if Marvel doesn’t find a way to bring back ‘Guardians of the Galaxy,’ it will be a huge loss for Marvel.”
Referring to the Guardians of the Galaxy team, she said, “These misfits are beloved by fans, you know? And then, they have someone like James Gunn at the helm – his writing is excellent and perfect for this kind of genre. So, when ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ makes a comeback, I’ll be the first one standing at the front row celebrating.”
According to Box Office Mojo, the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films have grossed $773 million, $863 million, and $845 million worldwide for the first to third movies, respectively. They received critical ratings of 92%, 85%, and 82% on Rotten Tomatoes, and audience freshness ratings of 92%, 87%, and 94%.