It’s no secret that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a pretty epic film, and the first in a long time to finally break the MCU losing streak, but has the film gone too far? Fans are concerned that the darker tone will cause Disney to rethink future projects.
One redditor who goes by the name of RigatoniPasta shared their views on the film in the MarvelStudios subreddit. They explained how the movie’s dark themes and edgy subject have upset some “soccer mom” reviewers. The film features some pretty disturbing depictions of animal cruelty from Chukwudi Iwuji’s villainous High Evolutionary. While the story definitely benefited from the much darker tone, they ask, will Disney censor future movies to cater to the Karens?
So GotG 3 is really good. I just saw it and I can join the conversation. But as I venture into the reviews and stuff I’m noticing concerning reports of Common Sense Media soccer moms whining that the movie is too dark and too edgy.
So now I’m wondering: Since kids are Disney’s prime audience and parents are having meltdowns over a movie dealing with heavier themes than the usual MCU stuff, will Disney start censoring their future films to cater to the Karens?
The general response to that idea was a resounding “No” from fellow fans. While Disney and Marvel do want to cater to a mostly younger audience, there’s no denying the overwhelmingly positive response to GOTG 3 among critics and casual viewers. As one reply puts it best: “If Disney reacted to every time parents complain about a company requiring them to actually do some parenting […] Disney would not be a successful company.” The company received complaints when Daredevil and The Punisher arrived on Disney Plus but it didn’t bow to the pressure then, and there’s no reason to believe it will now.
Others pointed out that any publicity is good publicity, “now people want to see what the fuzz is about.” If anything, the negative reactions to this film’s tone will help it greatly. At the end of the day, the main takeaway from all of this is that GOTG 3 is the long overdue return to form for the MCU “I don’t care if it’s a bit dark and edgy. It’s good and that is what matters.” Honestly, the direction this film went in feels like a breath of fresh air; definitely the kind of win Marvel needs right now and the studio would be crazy not to learn from James Gunn’s parting gift to the MCU.
The success of the third and final installment can only mean good things for the future of the Marvel universe. Marvel Studios knows what the fans want and as long as it’s financially viable, it will deliver.