James Gunn has come clean and admitted that superhero fatigue is a very real thing, with the departing Marvel Cinematic Universe veteran and co-CEO of DC Studios even underlining the problems that have dogged countless comic book blockbusters over the years, so hopes were high that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 would be a return to form.

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On one hand, it very much is, with the early reactions and first wave of reviews indicating that Gunn has indeed arrested the MCU’s terminal decline by delivering what’s already being called one of the finest installments to emerge from the mythology since Avengers: Endgame placed a stunning exclamation point on the Infinity Saga.

The downside is that with a current Rotten Tomatoes score of 82 percent, Vol. 3 is also currently the worst-reviewed of the cosmic trilogy. While that’s not a bad score in the slightest, it’s still lagging behind the 85 and 92 percent ratings of its immediate predecessors, as well as Multiverse Saga bedfellows Spider-Man: No Way Home, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Reports of underwhelming box office numbers continue to loom in the background, too, so Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 finds itself in an interesting predicament less than week out from release. Based on statistics, data, estimates, and projections it’s a very good film, but not the best featuring the title characters, while the jury remains out on whether it can come close to matching Vol. 2 at the box office.

There’s also the distinct possibility it’ll be review-bombed by DC fans furious that Gunn isn’t Zack Snyder, so we’re in for a fun few days all-round.

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