It can be hard to commit to a Marvel movie because, like many people, it comes with an absurd amount of baggage. You can’t just put on Thor: Love And Thunder without first watching Chris Hemsworth parade around the galaxy a few times prior in various other installments. But that’s why Guardians of the Galaxy is a great middleman because you don’t need to watch the 31 previous MCU films in order to understand it. But you would benefit from watching two of them!
Guardians operates on a smaller scale than the rest of the Avengers crew. While Tony Stark and Peter Parker are galavanting around New York City, another Peter is bopping around the universe, aka Starlord, played by the busiest man in the universe, Chris Pratt. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1 and 2 are both good introductions to the saga in their own little corner of space, safely tucked away from Captain Marvel and Co (for now). They do overlap, of course, but it’s not integral to understanding their storyline.
While you don’t need to venture into the many Marvel phases to watch the latest Guardians, watching Vol 1 and Vol 2 would give you enough context to actually enjoy the latest installment. Due to its emotionally-charged plot and certain storylines wrapping up, it’s best to watch the first two chapters in the Guardians saga before venturing into theaters for Vol. 3.
The good news is that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 and 2 are both available on Disney+. There is also the holiday special from last year, which is more of a stand-alone storyline, but worth watching if you want to see more Kevin Bacon. Who doesn’t want to see Kevin Bacon?
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters this Friday, May 5th.