The Marvel Cinematic Universe added a lot of color and flair to its lore when the Guardians of the Galaxy arrived partway through Phase 2. The Guardians movies are wacky outer space adventures where misfits and rogues can join the Guardians crew and fight for glory and money in all corners of the cosmos.
The Guardians of the Galaxy enjoy a few perks of the job, such as unlimited freedom to roam the universe as they please and take on whatever jobs interest them. This may look glamorous and fun, but any Guardian would agree that this is also a tough, sometimes miserable job that comes with many harsh realities and problems. Amusingly, many of the Guardians' worst problems are simply each other.
10 The Guardians Can't Agree On A Leader
Most groups in the MCU have a clearly-defined leader, such as Thanos commanding the Black Order and Nick Fury being S.H.I.E.L.D.'s director. The Guardians of the Galaxy can't really agree on their own leader, with Star-Lord being the unofficial, informal leader at most.
Star-Lord certainly tries to lead his group, and sometimes, Gamora and the others will listen. Just as often, though, Star-Lord and Rocket Raccoon may butt heads over the leadership position, and at times, Gamora would much rather be in charge.
9 Rocket Raccoon Acts Selfishly
Each of the Guardians has their own personality flaws and bad habits, and often, characters like Rocket Raccoon will make it everyone else's problem. Rocket is selfish and underhanded, which probably wasn't a problem when he only had Groot for company.
Now Rocket belongs to a cohesive team that takes on important jobs for clients, so impulsive theft and selfish behavior will have much greater consequences. A major example was when Rocket stole those batteries from the Sovereign, which dragged the entire team into a huge fight.
8 The Guardians Have Little Logistical Support
Many individuals and groups in the MCU are supported with valuable supplies such as ammunition, an information network, vehicles, or even food and shelter, such as S.H.I.E.L.D. and even HYDRA and the Ten Rings organization. The Guardians of the Galaxy, however, aren't like that.
The Guardians crew live a hardscrabble life, and they must scavenge, buy, or simply steal what they need to survive, without an official supply chain to support them. This may streamline things and makes characters like Rocket comfortably self-sufficient, but it comes at a cost.
7 The Guardians Have A Juvenile Attitude
The MCU has always been known for its humor; for audiences, the Guardians' crude humor is a real boon. For the characters, though, this can be annoying and even uncomfortable, with the uptight Gamora always rolling her eyes at everyone's bad jokes.
Gamora was furious when Rocket and Star-Lord argued over the nasty prank Rocket would play on Star-Lord, and in the middle of battle, no less. And even the goofball Star-Lord gets really tired of Drax's nonsense jokes such as eating so slowly, he can supposedly become invisible to the naked eye.
6 The Guardians Lack A Powerhouse Teammate
For a brief time, the mighty Thor Odinson was a Guardian of the Galaxy, but he left the team in Thor: Love and Thunder to pursue his own interests. Thor was stronger than all the other Guardians combined, and he could have carried the team if he stayed.
With Thor gone, the Guardians team lacks a true powerhouse who can reliably finish off any foe. They may be the Avengers-lite, but the Guardians still have an urgent need for a heavy hitter who can use more than daggers and laser pistols to fight.
5 The Guardians Lack A Home Base
In some ways, lacking a home base can be a boon for free-spirited MCU heroes who prefer roaming the universe and seeing new sights. Still, there are major advantages to having a secure home base, and the Guardians only have their spaceship to call home.
A home base has many amenities and safety features a small starship never would, most of all elbow room. It can be cramped aboard that ship, while a base like the Avengers HQ or S.H.I.E.LD.'s own base has everything from recreation areas to a parking garage, science labs, training rooms, ample storage space, and far more.
4 The Guardians Lack A Skilled Planner
It's true that Star-Lord came up with a decent plan to fight Ronan on the alien world Xandar, but otherwise, the Guardians aren't so great at thinking up advanced plans. Villains like Thanos and Red Skull always have a plan in mind, and among the heroes, Captain America and Nick Fury are adept at planning, too.
Most often, the Guardians of the Galaxy have to improvise, and it's stressful since they aren't even sure what their endgame is. Many Guardians members would feel more confident about their odds of survival if Star-Lord or Gamora could reliably think up a solid plan of attack—or a plan of escape.
3 The Guardians Lack A Dedicated Scientist
More and more often, the MCU's heroes need a dedicated scientist or even a team of them to invent a solution to the problem at hand. Most groups and teams have at least one, ranging from Hank Pym the physicist to Shuri the inventor, and even Peter Parker, who used technology to redeem his enemies.
However, the Guardians of the Galaxy lack a permanent scientist member. Rocket and Star-Lord are skilled at fixing things and tuning weapons, but it's a far cry from what Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, and Jane Foster can do.
2 The Guardians Feel Obscure Compared To The Avengers
The Guardians of the Galaxy are famous on Xandar since they saved that world from Ronan the Accuser's wrath, and Thanos is also aware of them through Gamora and Nebula. Still, the Guardians can't compare to the universe-wide fame and reputation of the Avengers.
Many of the Guardians enjoy being respected and admired, to the point Star-Lord is disappointed anytime another party doesn't know his name. The Guardians still have a chance to build up their reputation, but it's not as though everyone in the universe is scrambling to hire the ultra-famous Guardians.
1 The Guardians Have No Supernatural Powers
The Guardians have a few special abilities, such as Mantis' empathic nature and Groot's plant-like growths, but otherwise, they're totally down to earth and mundane. The Guardians only have martial arts and ordinary weapons, which often limits their options.
Several Avengers are incredibly powerful and useful because of their supernatural gifts, such as Doctor Strange's magic, Wanda's hexes, and Thor's lightning and use of the Bifrost. If the Guardians had their own wizard, they'd practically double their firepower, but it doesn't seem likely to happen.