Before its release, Guardians of the Galaxy 3 was expected to flop at the box office

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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3, the much-anticipated Marvel superhero movie, is expected to flop at the box office ahead of its release on May 5, 2023. With pre-release projections indicating an opening weekend of $120-155 million and a total gross of $288-403 million, it falls short of its predecessor, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2. This has raised concerns about the future of the Marvel superhero franchise and superhero movies in general.

Critics and fans believe that Marvel has set expectations too high to achieve for itself, leading to superhero movie fatigue among viewers. This, coupled with critical reviews, may spell doom for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3. Box Office Pro has projected the movie’s opening to be weaker than Vol.2, which opened at $146.5 million and grossed a total of $389 million. The pre-sales numbers for the movie are also lower than those for other Phase 5 films like Eternals and Shang Chi.

Industry experts believe that the right kind of reviews and pre-release marketing can still turn things around for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3. However, there are several reasons why the movie is slated for a flop. Critics consider the mediocrity of recent MCU movies and viewer fatigue as two significant causes. James Gunn, who was fired and later brought back by Disney and Marvel, has helmed this project. Some moviegoers are unhappy with the structural changes in the franchise, while others have not forgiven Gunn for his inappropriate tweets.

Kevin Feige’s latest movies, from Thor: Love and Thunder to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, have failed to impress some moviegoers. Marvel fans have become skeptical about the latest trends in movies, and the crash of Quantumania is an example of this.

While the projections for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 are negative, it is too early to predict accurately. The movie is positioned to achieve a better opening figure than Quatumania, which opened at $106 million. Director Gunn’s acknowledgment of the audience being served garbage movies and superhero movie fatigue holds promise for the movie. This is also the last movie of the Guardians and Gunn, who is moving to the DC world, making it a fitting finale for the team. Only time will tell if Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 will be able to overcome the negative predictions and become a success at the box office.