The box office tracker of Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is far behind Vol. 2

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 looks poised for box office success, but the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe trio could gross significantly less than Flight. 2.

According to Variety, Flight. 3 is expected to gross nearly $120 million domestically in its opening weekend, with box office projections suggesting that figure could drop to $110 million once it airs. This estimate is lower than the initial figure of $130 million announced in April. While the crude forecast for Flight. 3 is better than 2014 guardians of the galaxy opening tally of $94 million, latest film in acclaimed trilogy trails behind Flight. 2 considerably, with the 2017 sequel grossing a domestic total of $146 million in its first weekend.

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National projections for Flight. 3 are still strong, though the hope is for better returns from the MCU blockbuster’s $250 million budget. Additionally, writer/director James Gunn has gone all-in with his promotion of Flight. 3 and ensured that 600 versions of the film were available in various theaters containing different aspect ratios in order to provide “the best version” for each theater audience. Gunn also defended his own promotion of the MCU film on social media after being criticized for promoting “the competition” as the new co-CEO of DC Studios.

Flight. 3 is the second entry in phase 5 of the MCU after Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which became one of the highest-grossing titles worldwide in 2023 upon its release. Besides, Quantumania is the second biggest North American release this year behind The movie Super Mario Bros.. However, the film’s overall take of $474.6 million was not enough to break even, with Quantumania becoming the first non-pandemic MCU film to lose money.

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GOTG 3 Might Be The Lowest-Rated Entry In The MCU Trilogy

Along with box office expectations for Flight. 3, the film’s early reviews could lead to the lowest rating of the MCU trilogy. At the time of writing, Flight. 3 boasts a 78% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which still rates it as “Certified Fresh” on the review aggregator’s website, although some critics say the film overdoes its emotional pace.

With Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper and Pom Klementieff, Flight. 3 is not only the last film of the guardians of the galaxy series but teases the supergroup’s potential disbandment amid their toughest mission yet. The trio has already been made available to the public with free IMAX screenings in select North American theaters. Additionally, there will be marathon screenings in select theaters on May 3, allowing viewers to watch the first two guardians of the galaxy movie before watching the final installment of the trilogy.

guardians of the galaxy Flight. 3 hits theaters on May 5.

Source: Variety