Guardians Of The Galaxy 3"s Real Meaning Explained

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Warning: This post contains spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
The real meaning behind Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is what makes James Gunn's final MCU project so powerful. Released on May 5, 2023, as part of the MCU's Phase 5, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 marked the end of the line for Marvel Studios' original Guardians team, with the main cast returning and embarking on a final mission to save the life of one of their own. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 concluded the stories of each of the original members of the team, capping off Gunn's MCU trilogy with a deeper meaning that paid the perfect tribute to the films that came before.
Following an attack by Adam Warlock, the Guardians of the Galaxy set out on a mission to save Rocket's life, eventually coming face-to-face with the raccoon's villainous creator, the High Evolutionary. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 provided insight into Rocket's MCU backstory while once again cementing the bonds created between the cosmic team and proving their dedication and commitment to each other. As the ending to the MCU's Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, Vol. 3's hidden meanings make it one of the most powerful films in the franchise and perhaps set the stage for more heartfelt stories to be told in the Guardians of the Galaxy's MCU future.
Guardians Of The Galaxy 3 Completes The Trilogy's Exploration Of Found Family & Friendship

Throughout Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, attention was given to themes of family and friendship. The original 2014 film saw the rag-tag group of misfits unite to battle Ronan, forming bonds because they were all "losers" - "folks who've lost stuff." For the most part, the thing they'd all lost was their families: Peter Quill lost his mother, Thanos took Gamora from her family, Ronan killed Drax's wife and daughter, and Rocket had no family to speak of. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 saw the team realize that they had built the perfect family themselves, which was heightened in Avengers: Infinity War when they lost Gamora.
This theme continued into Vol. 3, as the Guardians set out to save a member of their family. The film explored Rocket's childhood friendships in flashbacks, introducing Lylla, Teefs, and Floor as experiments of the High Evolutionary. Even Zoe Saldaña's involvement as the 2014 variant of Gamora underlined the concept of family, as it was confirmed that she no longer has a family with the Guardians but found a new one with the Ravagers. By the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the group disbands, each wanting to find their own purpose and build new families - changed for the better because of their time with each other.
Guardians Of The Galaxy 3 Celebrates Imperfection

MCU projects often showcase the flaws in the franchise's heroes, but perhaps no project has celebrated imperfection in the way that the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy has, and this is a key theme in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The film introduced audiences to the High Evolutionary, an exciting villain portrayed by Chukwudi Iwuji who strived to create a perfect society through some incredibly questionable methods. Although the High Evolutionary may have survived Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the villain was still ironically defeated by a group of imperfect heroes, each of whom fully learned to embrace who they are, warts and all.
The Guardians of the Galaxy's imperfections were underlined during each of their appearances in the MCU, but Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 proves that the family they built loves them unconditionally, no matter how imperfect they are. While this was overtly shown using Rocket as a vehicle, Quill's, Drax's, and Gamora's imperfections were also put front and center. The film suggests that the so-called "perfect society" is an impossible ambition but that individuals should value who they are - which is highlighted perfectly at the end of the film with the inception of a new society of misfits on Knowhere and the formation of a new Guardians of the Galaxy team.
Guardians Of The Galaxy 3 Deals With Past Trauma

Perhaps more than previous installments in the franchise, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 puts emphasis on characters coming to terms with their pasts and moving on from trauma. This is perhaps most overt with Rocket's storyline in the film, as he quite literally faces his demons as the story offers insight into his early and tragic development, but he isn't the only character to see this treatment. Each member of the Guardians of the Galaxy deals with something from their past in the Phase 5 film, displaying the things they share in common while also proving how far they've come since the events of Guardians of the Galaxy.
Chris Pratt's Star-Lord deals with the idea of returning to Earth after losing his mother and apparently being rejected by his grandfather. Dave Bautista's Drax gets the chance to be a father again after losing his daughter before the events of Guardians of the Galaxy. Pom Klementieff's Mantis realizes that she has had no control over her life, as she went from being with Ego to being with the Guardians. Karen Gillan's Nebula comes to terms with her new life free from the control of her father, Thanos, similar to Gamora, so Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a truly transformative adventure for each team member.
How James Gunn Explained The Guardians Of The Galaxy Trilogy's Meaning

Prior to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's release, Gunn revealed what he interpreted to be the film's deeper meaning, revealing to Fandango (via Twitter), that he thinks of "Vol. 1 as being about the mother, Vol. 2 is about the father, and Vol. 3 is about the self." 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy opened with Quill's mother succumbing to cancer, 2017's Vol. 2 introduced Kurt Russell's Ego as Quill's Celestial father while also underlining the idea that Michael Rooker's Yondu Udonta had taken on his father-figure role, and Vol. 3 saw each of the Guardians come to terms with who they are apart from the team.
While Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 did focus on each member of the team's journeys to self-discovery, the most attention was given to Rocket Raccoon, as Gunn confirmed he had been the "secret protagonist" of the franchise (via Twitter). Although Quill had been the protagonist of Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 - especially considering the investigation of the mother and the father - the "self" fell onto Rocket in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Ending Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 with Rocket becoming the new team's Captain heightened this idea, with each member of the original team finally fully embracing who they are.
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