We’re getting ever closer to the premiere of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and anxiety is building among MCU fans. After the critical flop that was Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Phase Five of the superhero franchise might be in seriously hot water, despite some dedicated viewers trying their best to remain hopeful. Things are not looking good for Marvel, and it’s yet unclear if the upcoming installments will be able to make up for past mistakes.
To some, James Gunn’s confirmation that the Guardians threequel will have a bigger runtime than its predecessors is welcomed. After all, this will be the final installment of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, meaning that viewers will get to spend some extra time in the company of the characters before their storyline comes to a close. Normally, this wouldn’t be cause for complaint, considering the Guardians are some of the most beloved characters in the MCU. Unfortunately, though, there’s no guarantee that this will be a good thing. Lately, Marvel has shown a tendency of fumbling movies with incredible potential, and Phase Four basically speaks for itself.
While a long runtime might be justifiable in some cases, using it wisely is a requirement, and Marvel doesn’t always get the delicate balancing act right. Granted, Spider-Man: No Way Home used up its runtime incredibly well, juggling a much bigger cast of characters than in its previous installments. It should go without saying, then, that it’s a great example of Marvel making smart decisions, but other Phase Four movies didn’t get so lucky.
Eternals, for example, which had a cast of 11 main characters, proves a lengthy runtime simply cannot always be enough to properly develop characters and execute a storyline successfully. Unlike No Way Home, which re-introduced characters from previous Spider-Man movies, Eternals focused on a group of entities that were new to a significant portion of its audience. Thus, Marvel’s attempt to flesh the characters out as individuals, portray their time as a group across millennia and have them all come together to stop a potentially Earth-destroying event ultimately fell flat.
This problem could have been easily avoided if the MCU had simply not introduced as many characters, or at the very least, not dragged the movie’s central plot. Simply put, viewers left the theaters feeling like an eternity had passed since they first stepped foot in it, which is never the reaction you want to any film, but especially not a superhero one. Did the Eternals plot truly require a movie longer than Infinity War? The people say no.
Likewise, the length of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was a hot topic of conversation among Marvel fans following its release. Despite the film’s massive success, some folks consider that it was too slow-paced, and could’ve benefitted from a more concise script.
This all goes to show Phase Four’s mixed success with lengthy movies and brings to light fans’ concerns about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The upcoming film could just as well be a smash hit or a disappointing, overlong mess. Fans will just have to endure the agonizing wait to find out.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters on May 5.
