The long-awaited third installment of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise is less than two months away, and so far, it seems the film is receiving positive feedback overall.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be coming exactly six years to the date after the second Guardians film, on May 5. With it will come somewhat of an end to the Guardians' story as a team, inevitably increasing the anticipation fans have for the film.
The galactic threequel will give fans glimpses into Rocket's backstory, make sense of what Gamora has been up to, introduce a new villain in the High Evolutionary, and tie up any remaining loose ends as the franchise draws to a close of sorts.
As such, expectations for the film are high, and the pressure is on for it to do well not only financially, but also, and arguably more impertinently, emotionally.
How Well Is Guardians 3 Testing?
Speaking on The Hot Mic podcast, industry insider Jeff Sneider revealed Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is doing very well in test screenings, indicating good things for the film as a whole.
Sneider revealed he has "heard Loki [Season 2] is great and that Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is great." This sentiment was then echoed by The GWW's KC Walsh, but the scooper reminded fans to "never put a ton of stock in opinions via tests" as they don't always represent the general audience's reaction.
The film and franchise's director James Gunn himself said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that he "feel[s] very good" about the movie and that he "did everything that [he] possibly could to make this trilogy as good as it can possibly be:"
"Once I started doing the first Guardians movie, I felt drawn to it. I felt called to it, if that makes any sense. So I feel very good [about Vol. 3] because I feel like I did everything that I possibly could to make this trilogy as good as it can possibly be. And I feel incredibly blessed and fortunate that I had all these people around me making it. It's the biggest blessing of my life."
A Good Threequel on the Horizon
While Walsh emphasized that fans should "never put a ton of stock in opinions via tests," those opinions can have some merit as it pertains to fan reception if nothing else. Although Ant-Man 3 was similarly said to be testing well before release, and yet was quickly panned by fans and critics.
The people seeing these screenings are often people close to the project, though not always. They worked on the film and want to see these characters and stories done right. As such, that means their approval is worth something.
It seems likely that fans will react more positively than negatively to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, a welcome reaction following the majority of negative reviews of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters on May 5.
Gillian Blum has been a writer at The Direct since 2022, reporting primarily from New York City. Though she covers news from across the entertainment industry, Gillian has a particular focus on Marvel and DC, including comics, movies, and television shows. She also commonly reports on Percy Jackson, Invincible, and other similar franchises.
