Summary

• The Guardians of the Galaxy's interaction with Thor in Avengers: Infinity War provides great comedy and sets up an exciting dynamic among the group.
• The opening scene of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, where the Guardians are chased by the Sovereign, adds an entertaining level of stakes to the action sequence.
• The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ending provides a fitting sendoff for the original team, with heartfelt goodbyes and a funky dance scene, capturing the comedy and emotion that made their time in the MCU successful.

The MCU. Back in 2014, the Guardians of the Galaxy were among Marvel Comics’ most obscure characters. The fact that a space opera including characters like a wisecracking raccoon and a walking tree was being made at all was impressive enough, but the additional fact that it somehow tied into the same universe as The Avengers made things even more interesting.

With their endless bickering, struggles to do the right thing, and heartfelt family dynamic, the Guardians have gone on to become some of the most popular characters in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ending closing out the series as viewers knew it 9 years after their first film, there's a big selection of moments to look back on in the Guardians history, showing a range of comedy and tragedy - as well as plenty of awe-inspiring fights.

Picking Up Thor In Outer Space

In Avengers: Infinity War

The tag at the end of the first trailer for Avengers: Infinity War saw Thor coming face-to-face with the Guardians of the Galaxy. This was exciting for a couple of reasons, because seeing the Guardians in an Avengers movie was tantalizing enough, but seeing them interact with a post-Ragnarok Thor specifically was an amazing prospect. In the actual movie, this scene didn’t disappoint, as the Guardians answered an Asgardian distress signal and found the God of Thunder floating through space. The dynamic among the group immediately sets up for great comedy, as everyone besides Quill – who tried to impersonate him – was instantly enamored with “the god-man.”

Getting Chased By The Sovereign

In Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

The opening scene of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 sees the titular team protecting some valuable batteries from an inter-dimensional beast for the Sovereign. They successfully kill the beast, and seemingly return all the batteries to the Sovereign. But before they leave, Rocket swipes a few of the batteries - not because he needs them, but simply because he couldn’t resist doing something wrong - so the Sovereign’s fleet of ships chases the Guardians through space. The Sovereign’s crafts are all remotely piloted, so the only people in danger here are the Guardians themselves, adding an entertaining level of stakes to the action sequence.

Star-Lord Drops The MCU's First F-Bomb

In Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3

As a largely family-friendly franchise, the MCU was without one of cinema's favorite curse words for a long time, leading to speculation about who might get to drop the first official F-bomb being rife as a result. The rag-tag Guardians proved to be the winning bet for this debate, as a sequence of dialogue between Star-Lord and Nebula where the former explains how cars work concludes with Peter telling his comrade to "open the f*cking door." It's a moment that feels perfectly fitting for the trilogy, and also one that solidifies the Guardians of the Galaxy series' legacy in the overarching franchise.

Breaking out of the Kyln

In Guardians Of The Galaxy

The Guardians cast breaking out of Kyln was the scene that made the Guardians a team in the first place. They were caught trying to one up one another on Xandar and got locked in the Kyln, leading the group to realize that they needed to work together to break out. None of them could escape on their own, and they were driven by the prospect of splitting the bounty they’d receive for the Orb. The team devised a plan to break out, and then ruined it immediately, because Groot didn’t hear that his part was supposed to be done last - so they really had to pull together to make the breakout a success.

Destroying Ego’s planet

In Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

The MCU is often criticized for following a rigid formula, particularly in its movies’ third acts. The films will usually converge in a big battle in which the heroes fight a faceless army on their way to the villain. The third act of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 has one of these battles, but the stakes are personal. Not only does the villain want to wipe out all life in the universe and start it from scratch in his own image; the villain is Star-Lord’s biological father. Star-Lord fights his dad, while Baby Groot takes a bomb to the core of his planet, with the team eventually succeeding in their goals.