James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is nearly out, and the sequel promises to be the end of this iteration of the team that fans have followed for nearly a decade. If you’ve fallen behind or want to see what the team is all about, here’s a refresher course on which Marvel films and productions you should watch before seeing Vol. 3.
Here are all the things that you should watch ahead of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in the order they’re best experienced in.
Guardians of the Galaxy
The first Guardians of the Galaxy movie brings the ragtag group of unlikely heroes to the MCU, introducing viewers to Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Rocket, and Groot. Future team members Yondu, Kraglin, and Nebula appear in more antagonistic roles that are important to their future portrayals, while the MCU’s first major overarching antagonist, Thanos, gets a bit of spotlight. This is where the Guardians of the Galaxy get their start and is essential viewing for Vol. 3.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
The follow-up to Guardians of the Galaxy is just as important as the first. Peter’s father is revealed, Yondu becomes a true Guardian of the Galaxy, and Nebula becomes less of an antagonist and begins her path to becoming a Guardian. The Ravagers are shown as well, who were original members of the team in the comics, though whether they’ll play a large role in Vol. 3 is uncertain.
Of major importance is Mantis’ introduction, which leads her to join the team. This rounds out the roster ahead of the team’s first big appearance in a crossover movie. Before that, though, make sure to watch the post-credits scene, which teases the creation of Adam Warlock — a figure who is poised to be a major character in Vol. 3.
Avengers: Infinity War
The Guardians finally get to meet the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and their strong personalities expectedly clash in fun ways. This Avengers movie sees the group team up with members of the Avengers to take on Thanos. Groot, who is steadily growing, and Rocket become pals with Thor while the others deal with the Mad Titan in their own way. Sadly, Gamora is killed by Thanos — which leaves a hole in the team that is still being explored in Vol. 3 — while Nebula becomes a full-on ally to the heroes. Thanos’ snap claims the lives of quite a few team members, though the next movie on the list will address that.
Avengers: Endgame
Rocket and Nebula, the only remaining Guardians of the Galaxy, take part in the plan to retrieve the Infinity Stones from another universe to save those who were killed by Thanos’ snap. In doing so, they accidentally bring that universe’s Gamora and Nebula to their own universe, though they also revive Star-Lord, Drax, Mantis, and Groot, bringing the team back to nearly full strength. Nebula officially joins the team, marking a major development in her character arc.
Since Gamora was killed before Thanos snapped, she isn’t brought back, though the other universe’s Gamora is now roaming the main universe. Given this version of Gamora was never part of the team, she’s understandably confused by them and their affection for her. This other Gamora seems to be playing a large role in Vol. 3.
The movie ends with the Guardians returning to space to adventure and search for this new Gamora — now with Thor on the team, as the god of thunder seeks to find himself.
Thor: Love and Thunder
Thor ends up only being a Guardian for a brief while. He leaves the team upon receiving a distress signal from Lady Sif. You get to see the Guardians in action a bit in the fourth Thor movie, and Yondu’s right-hand man Kraglin seems to have officially joined the team. Peter has truly grown as a person, as one of the best scenes in the film has Star-Lord teach Thor that it’s better to feel pain along with love than to feel nothing at all, which foreshadows Thor’s journey in the sequel.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
This smaller Guardians adventure follows Mantis and Drax as they try to raise Peter’s spirits around the holiday season. Cosmo the Spacedog appears and seems to now be a member of the team, as the psionic dog helps to rebuild Knowhere alongside the rest of the team. Mantis and Drax get to shine here, as does Yondu in flashbacks. Though the whole team seems closer in this final prelude to the team’s third big solo adventure.
I Am Groot
You don’t really need to watch I Am Groot. It’s a small series of five-or-so-minute shorts that follow little Groot as he has various adorable misadventures. It’s a fun little side thing that gives little Groot additional personality. No big plotlines or hints are dropped in this delightful series of shorts.
