Marvel movies to watch before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 sets to release (Image via Marvel Studios)

As the release date of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 comes near, it has been raising a great deal of anticipation among the fans. They are excited to see this movie and not yet ready to bid the franchise goodbye. 

Ardent Marvel fans have already considered a way to recap all of the Guardians’ outings before May 5. But the question arises: which movie to start with? Which to include? What should be the sequence to watch all of them? 

To find answers to all the above questions, keep reading to know in detail which movies to watch to keep up with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3.


Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3:  Which movies to watch and in what sequence? 

1) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 (2014) 

Peter Quill the Star Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1
The first appearance of Chris Pratt in Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 1 (Image via Marvel Studios)

Release Date: July 21, 2014. 

Runtime: 2 hours 2 minutes. 

Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, and Vin Diesel

Of course, one has to start with the franchise’s first movie, which led the foundation to the entire storyline that is now coming to its “endgame.” 

It was an absolute surprise hit and brought a new taste to MCU’s science-fiction offerings. Even though the characters were immensely obscure in 2014, they were introduced briefly to unravel a much bigger storyline for the future. 

It is a treat to watch with its engaging storyline, catchy songs, and amazing comic relief. James Gunn has set this movie up as a milestone to look up to for future releases. The story revolves around a little boy Peter Quill on Earth who was later abducted by Ravagers. Being one of them, Peter Quill went to retrieve an Orb in Morag and the story unravels further with it. 


2) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) 

The Guardians on Planet Ego
The Guardians of the Galaxy meets Ego and Mantis (Image via Marvel Studios)

Release Date: May 5, 2017.  

Runtime: 2 hours 16 minutes. 

Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Kurt Russell, Dave Bautista and Pom Klementieff. 

As a sequel, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hit it out of the park. James Gunn and Marvel delivered an amazing action-packed movie that has kept the audiences on the edge of their seats. 

The movie revolves around exploring every character in detail and knowing their history. Even though it ends with emotional turmoil (who could forget Yondu’s death) but it was wondrous to behold anyway. 

It also introduced Kurt Russell as an important part of the MCU playing the role of Ego, the planet as Peter’s father and the main antagonist. This movie also explored the plot of the birth of Adam Warlock, who is going to be a new edition in Phase 5, and of course Vol. 3


3) Thor: Ragnarok (2017) 

Thor is now a Guardians of the Galaxy
Thor using his power to attack Hela’s army (Image via Marvel Studios)

Release Date: November 3, 2017 

Runtime: 2 hours 10 minutes. 

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Tom Hiddleston, Taika Waititi, Tessa Thompson, Mark Ruffalo, and Karl Urban. 

Even though this movie does not have a major role to play in understanding the Guardians in-depth, it brought the perspective to the next movie on the list: Avengers: Infinity War. The post-credit scene ended with Thor’s ship being destroyed on the way to Earth and Thor landing in outer space. 

The ship that Thor encountered in Avengers: Infinity War is Peter Quill’s Milano and ended up being part of the Guardians in the movie. 


4) Avengers: Infinity War (2018) 

The Guardians meet Thor
Thor meets Quill and Gamora and Drax in Avengers Infinity War (Image via Marvel Studios)

Release Date: April 27, 2018 

Runtime: 2 hours 29 minutes. 

Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Josh Brolin, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Holland, Mark Ruffalo, and Elizabeth Olsen. 

While the fans were going through a joyride until the last movie, Avengers: Infinity War is going to take an emotional toll on the fans. It is considered to be one of the darkest and most emotionally stressful movies in MCU and everything else gets bleak compared to this. 

The movie finally explores Thanos as the mega villain of the Infinity Saga and how it also disbanded the Guardians through the Blip. The only Guardian who survived this population wipeout was Rocket, and losing his only family took an emotional toll on him. 

This movie is a place for a crossover between the Guardians and Earth’s mightiest heroes, Avengers, an important milestone in cinematic history. 


5) Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Avengers Endgame
Mantis, a part of Guardians of the Galaxy is now also an Avenger (Image via Marvel Studios)

Release Date: April 26, 2019

Runtime: 3 hours 2 minutes. 

Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Josh Brolin, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo, Brie Larson, and Paul Rudd.

This is one of the lengthiest MCU movies ever and finally gives a closure to the overall Infinity Saga. Avengers: Endgame sets to resolve the devastation caused by Infinity War and bids farewell to some beloved characters as well. 

However, it also gave Guardians a new member of their team, Thor who will now embark upon a new adventure with Peter Quill and the gang. Avengers: Endgame would be a great prequel for the next movie coming to the list: Thor Love and Thunder. 


6) Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) 

Star Lord and Thor are now the Guardians of the Galaxy
Peter Quill and Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder (Image via Marvel Studios)

Release Date: July 7, 2022 

Runtime: 1 hour 59 minutes 

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Christian Bale, Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson, and Russell Crowe. 

Though the movie was thoroughly disappointing in Phase 4, fans couldn’t forget Thor and Guardians of the Galaxy fighting together side by side to protect the galaxy. 

This movie ties the Guardians of the Galaxy to the entire storyline with Thor before he sets to embark on his journey. The Guardians’ surprise cameo stirred the viewers’ seats and has been beloved by ardent MCU fans worldwide. 


7) The Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special (2022)

Holiday Special of Guardians of the Galaxy
Official Poster of Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special (Image via Marvel Studios)

Release Date: November 25, 2022

Runtime: 42 minutes

Cast: Chris Pratt, Kevin Bacon, Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff, Maria Bakalova, Karen Gillan, Vin Diesel, Sean Gunn, and Bradley Cooper

The Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special holds a special place in the heart of the fans. In it, major things are revealed. To start with, over here the fans can see how Quill misses Yondu on Christmas and their first Christmas experience. 

The special also includes a new dog called Cosmo, who travels around the space and has already taken a special place in fans’ hearts. It was also seen that Mantis and Drax go to Earth and “kidnap” Kevin Bacon to celebrate Christmas and surprise Quill with this amazing gift. Finally, it is revealed that Mantis is Quill’s sister, which fills the former with joy. 

The Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special was an absolute treat to watch and has revealed new plot points before the team gets closure in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.


Wrapping up

Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy
Groot from I am Groot a mini-series by Marvel and Disney Plus (Image via Marvel Studios)

Fans can also check out I Am Groot as well, the Disney Plus miniseries revolving around the beloved character. The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is going to leave the audience with tears and sorrow. The movie is set to release on May 5, and fans are very excited about it. 


You can also share any questions you have about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3. Until then, stay with us here at Spiel Times for more content.

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