Unlike the rest of the Marvel universe, Guardians of the Galaxy has a relatively straightforward timeline. Sure, the crew ends up in some Avengers scenes in between their universe hopping, but their actual adventures all exist in their own mediums with a pretty standard timeline that doesn’t involve millions of different Loki variations running amuck. But, as with any franchise, you want to be sure you have all of the context before heading to theaters for the upcoming installment.
If you’re looking for the cinematic experience, Guardians of the Galaxy is the first place to start. The first installment came out in 2014 and kickstarted the ragtag team of space misfits. From there, the sequel Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was released in 2017. The gang also appears in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame where the timelines start to falter a bit, but they are not the main focus. Of course, they are still worth watching when it comes to character development, but they aren’t standalone Guardians movies.
Next up is The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, a one-off special that dropped on Disney+ in November 2022. While it’s not integral to the storyline, it does bring back the gang for a festive adventure set before Vol. 3 which hits theaters this week.
But it doesn’t stop there: taking place in between the events of Vol 1 and 2 is I am Groot, a limited Disney+ series that follows the titular tree, voiced by Vin Deisel. But “voiced” is a bit of a stretch, considering the fact that he says only three words. He must have been resting his voice before Fast X. I Am Groot doesn’t advance the plot in any major way, but it’s a fun series of misadventures with Groot and Rocket.
Finally, if you’re already well-versed in the Guardians and need more adventure, the Guardians of the Galaxy animated series ran for three seasons and is currently streaming on Disney+, along with another animated series Rocket and Groot. While it consists of one-off adventures not integral to the central storyline, it will give you enough content to last until a potential new Guardians chapter…assuming that ever happens.