When Will ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Stream on Disney+? Which Movies, Shows Should You Watch to Prepare?
The motliest of all motley superhero crews is returning to the big screen this week. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” hits theaters on Friday, May 5 (or Thursday, May 4 for preview screenings), in a long-awaited return to cinemas that fans have been clamoring for ever since the group’s brief cameo in “Thor: Love and Thunder.”
The movie finds Peter Quill still grappling with the loss of the Gamora he knew and loved, and the introduction of a Gamora from an alternate dimension. Despite his feelings, he must rally the team around him to protect one of their own. It’s a mission that could cause the Guardians to unravel completely if they don’t complete it successfully.
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” has thus far earned an 81% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, showing a nice bounce back from Marvel’s last cinematic release “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” which only pulled together a 47% approval rate from critics. Reviewers say the new “Guardians” movie packs in plenty of action and emotion but can feel a bit overstuffed at times.
Watch a Trailer for ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’
We know “Guardians 3” will come to Disney+ when it leaves theaters and heads to streaming, but when will that be? “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” is headed to theaters on May 17, 90 days after its initial theatrical debut. It’s a safe bet that the new “GOTG” sequel won’t be available on Disney+ for at least that amount of time, and its cinematic window might extend to 120 days if the film does as well in theaters as its reviews suggest it may.
If the movie does get a 120-day theatrical stint, that would put it on Disney+ on Sept. 2. That’s just about one year from 2022’s Disney+ Day (which took place Sept. 8), so Disney may use the film to try to promote this year’s edition of the event.
Disney+
Disney+ is a video streaming service with over 13,000 series and films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, The Muppets, and more. It is available in 61 countries and 21 languages. It is notable for its popular original series like “The Mandalorian,” “Ms. Marvel,” “Loki,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” and “Andor.”
What MCU Movies and Shows Should You Watch Before Seeing ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?’
Even the most diehard of Marvel fans could be forgiven for needing to catch up with the story of “Guardians” so far. The MCU has been in existence for over 15 years now, and in that time it has released dozens of titles, with character crossovers galore.
Here are all the movies and shows you’ll need to stream to catch up on “GOTG Vol. 3”
‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Volumes 1 and 2
It would be hard to walk into the third installment of these movies without seeing the first two. Meet Quill, Rocket, Gamorah, Drax, Groot, and all the other misfits in the galaxy, and see their wacky first adventures together.
Guardians of the Galaxy Movies
A superhero film series based on the Marvel Comics superhero team Guardians of the Galaxy, and part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) series. The series is centered on a band of former intergalactic outlaws, who have teamed together to protect the Galaxy from planetary threats. Led by Peter Quill (Star-Lord) the roster includes Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Rocket Raccon & Groot.
‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and ‘Avengers: Endgame’
“Infinity War” follows the galactic supervillain Thanos on his quest to secure all Infinity Stones, which will allow him to wipe out half of all life in the universe with the snap of a finger. The Guardians team up with members of the Avengers to try to stop the threat, but their failure could cost them the life of one of their own.
Avengers: Infinity War
As the Avengers and their allies have continued to protect the world from threats too large for any one hero to handle, a new danger has emerged from the cosmic shadows: Thanos. A despot of intergalactic infamy, his goal is to collect all six Infinity Stones, artifacts of unimaginable power, and use them to inflict his twisted will on all of reality. Everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment - the fate of Earth and existence itself has never been more uncertain.
“Endgame” follows the aftermath and the heroes who seek to undo the damage done by Thanos. All of our favorite Guardians return, though some in a manner that seems certain to cause more friction for the team in the future…
Avengers: Endgame
After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War, the universe is in ruins due to the efforts of the Mad Titan, Thanos. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble once more in order to undo Thanos’ actions and restore order to the universe once and for all, no matter what consequences may be in store.
‘Thor: Love and Thunder’
The Guardians don’t feature too heavily in this film, but watching it is important for learning why Thor, who joins the team after the events of “Avengers: Endgame,” is no longer with them during “GOTG Vol. 3”.
Thor: Love and Thunder
After his retirement is interrupted by Gorr the God Butcher, a galactic killer who seeks the extinction of the gods, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie, Korg, and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster, who now inexplicably wields Mjolnir as the Mighty Thor. Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late.
The film stars Chris Hemsworth, Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson, Russell Crowe, and Natalie Portman. Taika Waititi returns to direct after “Thor: Ragnarok.”
‘Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’
This isn’t 100% essential watching, as it doesn’t advance the plot of the MCU in any meaningful way. But it does show the Guardians at their best; a ragtag band of compatriots who love each other deeply, even if they also hate each other a fair amount of the time.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
On a mission to make Christmas unforgettable for Quill, the Guardians head to Earth in search of the perfect present.
‘What If…?’
Another title that isn’t a complete requirement to understand what’s going on in “GOTG Vol. 3,” but should still be on your list. This animated series takes viewers to a series of alternate Marvel universes, including one in which T’Challa becomes Star-Lord instead of Quill. It’s Chadwick Boseman’s final performance as T’Challa, so it’s a can’t-miss for any true Marvel fan regardless of its importance to the narrative of the “Guardians” story.
What If…?
Taking inspiration from the comic books of the same name, each episode of this animated anthology series questions, revisits and twists classic Marvel Cinematic moments.