Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 seems poised for box office success, but the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe threequel may accrue a significantly lower gross than Vol. 2.

According to Variety, Vol. 3 is expected to earn close to $120 million domestically in its opening weekend, with box-office projections suggesting that figure may dwindle to as low as $110 million once it premieres. This estimate is less than the original $130 million figure touted in April. While the predicted gross for Vol. 3 is better than 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy opening tally of $94 million, the final film in the acclaimed trilogy trails behind Vol. 2 considerably, with the 2017 sequel earning a domestic total of $146 million during its premiere weekend.

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Domestic projections for Vol. 3 are still solid, though the hope is for stronger returns against the MCU blockbuster's $250 million budget. Additionally, writer/director James Gunn has gone all-in with his promotion of Vol. 3 and has ensured that 600 versions of the movie are available to various theaters containing different aspect ratios in order to provide "the best version" to every theater audience. Gunn has also defended his own promotion of the MCU film on social media after he received criticism for promoting "the competition" as the new co-CEO of DC Studios.

Vol. 3 is the second entry in the MCU's Phase 5 after Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which became one of the highest-grossing titles worldwide in 2023 upon its release. Additionally, Quantumania is the second-biggest North American release this year behind The Super Mario Bros. Movie. However, the film's global take of $474.6 million was not enough to break even, with Quantumania becoming the first non-pandemic MCU movie to lose money.

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GOTG 3 Could Be the MCU Trilogy's Lowest-Rated Entry

Alongside box office expectations for Vol. 3, early reviews for the film could lead to the lowest rating in the MCU trilogy. At the time of writing, Vol. 3 boasts a 78% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which still qualifies it as "certified fresh" on the review aggregator website, though some critics claim the movie overdoes its emotional beat.

Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper and Pom Klementieff, Vol. 3 is not only the final film of the Guardians of the Galaxy series but teases the potential dissolution of the supergroup amid their toughest mission yet. The threequel has already been made available to audiences with free IMAX screenings in select cinemas across North America. Additionally, there will be marathon screenings in select theaters on May 3, allowing viewers to watch the first two Guardians of the Galaxy movie before watching the final installment of the trilogy.

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

Source: Variety