Marvel Studios released the first trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, utilizing Spacehog's "In the Meantime", a song that could provide a great deal of deeper meaning for the movie's story.
Thanks to Marvel Studios' panel at CCXP 2022 in Brazil, Marvel fans have their first look at Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 with its debut trailer. Director James Gunn and the team have put together what should be the most emotional story in the Guardians trilogy, bringing the group back together for what will likely be their final run as a team after nearly a decade of dominance.
Fans are already freaking out over an infant version of Rocket Raccoon while getting the first look at Chukwudi Iwuji's villainous High Evolutionary as this trailer puts the Guardians on a wild adventure through the cosmos in their first solo movie since 2017.
And thanks to James Gunn's history of featuring well-known pop songs in all of his comic-book movie titles, it's only natural that he continued this trend with a song in this new trailer that holds deep meaning for this upcoming story.
What Song Is In Guardians of the Galaxy 3's Trailer?
The first trailer for Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was backed by the musical stylings of Spacehog's "In the Meantime", which came as part of the group's debut 1995 album entitled "Resident Alien." This becomes the most recent song to be used in any MCU Guardians story to date as well as the first to be released after 1990.
The overarching theme of the song ties back to acceptance of one's self, which will play a major role in the Guardians' third solo outing in the MCU, most particularly for Bradley Cooper's Rocket Raccoon.
During San Diego Comic-Con 2022, director/writer James Gunn spoke about the idea of acceptance in regard to Rocket, explaining how worried he was that Rocket "was gonna be stupid" when first took the directing job on 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy.
"The thing that made me really want to do it was, when they told me about ‘You know, they were wanting to do this thing, Guardians of the Galaxy, it’s a talking raccoon.’ And I knew him from the comics, but it seemed as a movie, it was gonna be stupid. It seemed like it was gonna be like Bugs Bunny in the middle of the Avengers. Even though my career was not a big thing at the time, I wasn’t gonna do it, because I don’t wanna do something that doesn’t interest me."
But what got Gunn on board was the idea that Rocket had to be "the saddest person or character in the universe" in order for the story to work, with the audience and crew learning about him "as the story goes on" over the years:
"And I was driving home, and all of a sudden, I was like ‘Well, okay. Let’s say there is a talking raccoon, where does he come from?’ And I realized that, to tell the story honestly, he’s the saddest person or character in the universe, and that he was unlike anybody else and he was created in this horrible way, and we’re gonna learn a little bit about him as the story goes on. And then this film tells that story along with that family that he’s created along the way, and the jerky father he has back there."
As for the song itself, Spacehog lead singer Royston Langdon shared how this song was about himself "trying to reach people," explaining that it's something of a metaphor for "a worldly or inner-worldly search for the end of isolation:"
"It’s me trying to reach people. It’s using some kind of metaphor of a worldly or inner-worldly search for the end of isolation, and the acceptance of one’s self is in there. At the end of the day it’s saying whatever you gotta do, it’s OK, it’s alright. And I think that’s also me talking to myself, getting through my wan anxieties and fear of death. That’s what it all comes down to. What’s so beautiful about it is that it continues to connect with people."
The theme of acceptance comes from a few different sets of lyrics, as "In the Meantime" starts with "in the end, we shall achieve in time the thing they call divine."
The chorus then describes the love felt by any one person's friends or family, describing an idyllic place "where lands are green and skies are blue."
A later verse dives into the tears that one cries for themselves and others at the same time, mourning the end of something in the current moment. This is a clear nod to the Guardians franchise coming to an end as the fans know it right now, with Vol. 3 being the last time this team will be seen together.
But things get more positive from there as Spacehog's lyrics tell listeners to "give my love to the future of the humankind," reassuring them that the future will be ok even though things are different.
The first full trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 can be seen below:
How Will Music Influence Guardians 3 Story?
Since Star-Lord got his Zune in 2017's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, fans have wondered what new pop songs would make their way into the space-faring epic, although this entry marks the first time any song past the 1980s has been used. James Gunn has spoken often about how much music plays a role in his movies' character development, particularly with Peter Quill, meaning this song should only be the first of many hits that will take the spotlight in the Guardians' third solo movie.
After bringing yet another exciting round of music to the forefront with The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, Gunn's latest theatrical effort will continue that trend with a soundtrack that should have fans grooving for a long time. With Vol. 3 still a few months away, it will likely be some time until more music from the next Awesome Mix is revealed, but this first song should serve as a good sign that the movie is in good hands musically.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will debut in theaters on May 5, 2023.
