From Zero to Hero — A Comprehensive Recap of the Guardians of the Galaxy’s Journey in the MCU, Just in Time for Guardians 3!
The Guardians of the Galaxy are one of the most beloved superhero teams in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 set to release in a couple of days, it’s a good time to recap their journey so far. Here is a detailed review of the Guardians of the Galaxy’s appearances in the MCU up until the Guardians Holiday Special released in 2022.
The Guardians of the Galaxy first appeared in the MCU in the 2014 movie Guardians of the Galaxy. The movie introduced us to Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), and Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel). The movie saw the team come together to protect the galaxy from the villainous Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace).
The Guardians then appeared in the 2017 sequel, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. In this movie, the team dealt with personal issues, such as Peter’s father and Gamora’s relationship with her adopted sister Nebula (Karen Gillan), while also fighting a new villain, Ego the Living Planet (Kurt Russell).
The Guardians also played a significant role in the events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). In Infinity War, they teamed up with the Avengers to stop Thanos (Josh Brolin) from obtaining all the Infinity Stones. Unfortunately, they failed, and half of all life in the universe was wiped out. In Endgame, the remaining Guardians teamed up with the Avengers again to bring back everyone who was lost in the snap.
Time has went by, and we now see the Guardians team up with Thor to save the worlds and bring peace, in Thor: Love and Thunder. They also say their goodbyes to Thor and drift away into the cosmos!
In 2022, the Guardians of the Galaxy returned for a holiday special on Disney+. The special saw Drax (Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) traveling to Earth to find the perfect gift for Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Pratt). Along the way, they encountered a variety of holiday-themed mishaps.
Overall, the Guardians of the Galaxy have had an impressive journey throughout the MCU, from being a group of misfits trying to save the galaxy to being an integral part of the Avengers’ fight against Thanos. Fans are eagerly anticipating the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in May 2023 to see where their journey takes them next.
