James Gunn says ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3’ is “about the Guardians saving themselves”

Chris Pratt so perfectly embodies Star-Lord in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies that it’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role.

BIG premiere, throwing one of the most-coveted bashes in recent weeks. Not to be outdone, Coachella Valley Music and Art Festival brought Zendaya back to the mic, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” actually took over a mile of Manhattan and “Citadel” stars Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Richard Madden did the same in the heart of Westwood.

It might sound cliché, but Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is literally out of this world.

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 has received mixed reviews, although some are hailing it “the best Marvel film in years”.Vol. 3 picks up after the events of Avengers: Endgame, with Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) still reeling from the loss of Gamora (Zoe Saldana).The Guardians find themselves adjusting to life on Knowhere as parts of Rocket’s (Bradley Cooper) past resurface.

It’s easy to forget now, given the wild success of the franchise since, but remember the context of the time: filmmaker James Gunn did the unthinkable and overcame great odds with 2014’s “Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 1.” Moreso than almost any other Marvel characters that led their own movies in the last 20+ years, the Guardians were mostly unknown C-list characters, and many skeptical pundits were expecting a bomb because audiences would be unfamiliar.

Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic For those who didn’t know the Marvel catalog inside out, when James Gunn first unleashed “Guardians of the Galaxy” back in 2014, it felt like the company was suddenly calling in the B-team. Spider-Man, Hulk, Captain America, Thor. Those guys were household names who deserved stand-alone movies. But Star-Lord? Drax the Destroyer? Lethal green-skinned Gamora, grunting tree-thing Groot and a sarcastic raccoon named Rocket? They felt like parodies of the better-known Marvel characters — not so much superheroes as a ragged crew of sci-fi scoundrels roaming the cosmos in search of trouble. The surprising thing was, “Guardians” turned out to be the most entertaining Marvel movie yet. The characters had chemistry and didn’t take themselves seriously (occasionally, not seriously enough). This crew genuinely seemed to enjoy saving the galaxy. In a way, they were an improvement on the Avengers, and much more fun than any of the misfired Fantastic Four movies — not quite as irreverent as Taika Waititi’s “Thor” sequels or the off-canon “Daredevil” films that would follow, but an aspirational template for what comic book movies could be.

It’s the 32nd Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, which means we’ve reached the point where they’re telling us the weepy origin story of a talking raccoon.Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) is the order of the day in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” the final entry in the trilogy, in which the furry wiseguy is nearly killed and his co-heroes must chase down the assailant within 48 hours to save his little life.Running time: 150 minutes.

There’s a sense of an ending in part three of the Guardians trilogy, but not in the sense of the franchise actually, you know, coming to an end. Like almost Marvel movies these days, it presents a continuum, giving all the main players an out while leaving the door wide open to a fourth iteration should they have a change of heart. From the evidence here, that’s entirely possible — there’s no sign of burnout in the adventures of Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord and co. However, there are signs of wear and tear in the conventions of the series: once its most refreshing aspect, the mixtape soundtrack seems more of a burden now, having long abandoned the conceit of the original C90.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” held preview screenings and had its Hollywood premiere on Thursday, and that means the reactions are pouring in.And it’s a given that so far, those who saw it tonight mostly loved it.

Bradley Cooper is bidding farewell to Rocket Raccoon — at least for now!ET's Ash Crossan spoke to Cooper at the premiere of the final installment in the  saga, , where he revealed that he got pretty emotional watching a cut of the film, especially when he saw how Rocket's story unfolds.«He did talk to me about that initially too, that he had this sort of end game for Rocket, and us learning about his origin,» Cooper said of director James Gunn's plans for the franchise's final film. «You never know if that's actually gonna happen, and then low and behold, we get to this third script and I read it, and I go, 'Oh my gosh that's exactly what he talked about.'»He continued, «It was — emotional's the right word.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director After “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” earned some of the worst reviews for a Marvel movie yet (its 47% score on Rotten Tomatoes ties “Eternals” as the lowest-rated MCU title on the aggregation website), it appears the Marvel Cinematic Universe is back on track thanks to “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.” First reactions for the trilogy-ending “Guardians” sequel are rolling in and praise the film as the “best Marvel movie in years” and “surprisingly emotional.” Awards Radar editor Joey Magidson called the film “full of heart” and said it brought him “to tears on multiple occasions.” “It’s not what you’re necessarily expecting,” he added, “but it really does land. A perfect ending, too.”

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 will soon be arriving in cinemas – you can find details regarding its release below.Director James Gunn previously confirmed that the upcoming third instalment will be the Guardians’ final adventure together, although that doesn’t necessarily mean that the characters won’t appear again in other MCU films.Vol. 3 will reportedly see the Guardians adjusting to life on Knowhere as parts of Rocket’s past resurface.

Refresh for updates….Disney will keep it relatively short this AM in their presentation of their creme de la creme this year on the big screen versus Warner Bros’ two hour, yet robust, session yesterday.

Sure, James Gunn is making the publicity rounds, promoting his upcoming Marvel Studios film, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.” But there’s another hero in Gunn’s life right now who is taking a bit of a shine away from his ragtag group of space heroes—Superman.

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton are foraging for fungi. The couple was over the moon to find a plethora of morel mushrooms during a recent trek into the woods, documenting the journey on social media. «You better Instagram this,» Shelton teases his wife.

It’s amazing just how much a headline can really make a difference in one’s life, no matter how crazy or untrue they may be.

Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band have announced the support acts for their BST Hyde Park shows in London.Announced today (April 20), The Boss shared the three acts that will be joining his band on July 6 and 8.On the first date they will be supported by The Chicks and Frank Turner and his touring band The Sleeping Souls.The Chicks will also return for the second date along with James Bay. The shows are part of Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band’s forthcoming UK tour which also includes shows at BT Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh on May 30 and Villa Park in Birmingham on June 16.

The Guardians of the Galaxy stars strike a pose on the red carpet for the premiere in Seoul, Korea!

Zack Sharf Digital News Director James Gunn announced on Twitter that pre-production on “Superman: Legacy” has begun. The 2025 comic book tentpole will be the official launch of the new DC Universe as supervised by Gunn and his DC Studios co-head Peter Safran. “I’m honored to be a part of the legacy,” Gunn wrote alongside a photo of the “Superman: Legacy” script cover page. “And what better day than Superman Anniversary Day to dive fully into early pre-production on ‘Superman: Legacy’? Costumes, production design, and more now up and running.” Gunn has been keeping fans updated on “Superman: Legacy” every step of the way. The film was confirmed in January when Gunn and Safran revealed the first slate of film and television titles for their new DC Universe. In addition to “Superman: Legacy,” films such as “Supergirl: World of Tomorrow” and “The Brave and the Bold” (a Batman and Robin movie) are also in development. Gunn is writing and directing his “Superman” movie.

After passing $500M globally through Thursday, Illumination/Nintendo/Universal’s The Super Mario Bros Movie is now on its way to an estimated $659M through Sunday worldwide. Of that, the international box office is estimated to rep $318.6M.