Every Guardian of the Galaxy Movie Ranked (From Worst to Best)

One of the most pleasant surprises in the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far has been the Guardians of the Galaxy. When the first movie was officially announced in 2012, many people were skeptical about the movie as these characters weren’t exactly well-known and popular. But Kevin Feige had a vision; he wanted a big space epic with an ensemble of characters, and the Guardians fit that bill.

There are two Guardians of the Galaxy movies out at the moment. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 came out in 2014, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in 2017. The Guardians of the Galaxy stars Chris Pratt as Star-Lord, Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Vin Diesel as Groot, and Bradley Cooper as Rocket. Other notable characters are Nebula, played by Karen Gillan, who joins the Guardians after the events of Avengers: Endgame; Mantis, played by Pom Klementieff since the second installment; and Michael Rooker as Yondu Udonta. While waiting for volume three of this little franchise inside the MCU, let’s decide which volume is better by ranking them from worst to best.

3. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022)

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special came out on Disney+ in November 2022, marking the end of Phase Four of the MCU. This special has a run time of only 42 minutes, which means this can’t be called a movie, but it is an honorable mention in this list.

The special reunites all the guardians but focuses on Mantis and Drax. Mantis and Drax decide to cheer up Peter for Christmas because he is still depressed after the loss of Gamora. They go to Earth to find Peter’s childhood hero, Kevin Bacon. After much rumble, they grab Bacon and take them to Knowhere. Peter is horrified because he knows Bacon is just an actor and that Mantis and Drax kidnapped him. Against all odds, Bacon decides to stay and celebrate Christmas with the guardian before returning to Earth. Ultimately, we finally discover that Mantis is Peter’s half-sister.

This special is first on this list because it isn’t a real movie and is a little too silly. Even though the guardians are known to be a whacky bunch, they balance out each other. But this story focuses only on Drax and Mantis, and they can be a little too much. Despite all that, this holiday special still has amazing music and good jokes, and it takes place on Christmas in space, which is always a plus. A fun fact is that this special was supposed to be the content Marvel Studios planned to create for Disney+ in 2017. Gunn wanted this Christmas special as a homage to the Star Wars Christmas special, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

2. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 came out three years the first movie, and it is part of Phase Three of the MCU. This movie is very much a Peter Quill story. This is the movie where he finds out who he is, finds love, and accepts the people who truly mean something in his life.

Another legend is added in this sequel, along with the star-studded cast- Kurt Russel. Russel takes on the role of Ego, the living planet. He is later revealed to be Peter’s (and many others) father. In this movie, Mantis joins the team; she is Ego’s empath servant who is crucial in bringing him down. Plus, in Vol.2, Yondu is killed, but not before we learn that he is a savage, but a savage who loved Peter. Also, a big plot that will play a significant role later is the Gamora-Peter love story that begins in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

In the post-credit scene, Adam Warlock is teased. He is a very important and powerful character in the comics. But, still, this movie doesn’t have the spark the first movie had. Something is missing in this movie, and the comedy doesn’t hit as hard as it did in the first. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a great movie, but Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 was an extraordinary movie.

1. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 (2014)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1, or just Guardians of the Galaxy, was THE movie of 2014. It had everything going for it- it came out just when the Marvel hype was catching on, nobody expected it to be good, and it was a perfect summer comedy.

The story follows Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord, who steals an Orb. After a lot of misfortune, Peter ends up in Kyln prison. There he meets other members of the guardians- Drax the Destroyer, Rocket, Groot, and Gamora. In this movie, a lot every important plot points are introduced. We learn more about Thanos and that the Orb contains an Infinity Stone. As we know, these are all motives that will be very important in the future narrative of the MCU.

James Gunn took on the director mantle to turn these second-tier characters into some of the most beloved MCU characters. He paired it with great visuals, amazing humor, and outstanding music. So, it is obvious why this was the highest-grossing movie of 2014 in the US. But that is not all. After the Guardians of the Galaxy came out, the tone of MCU movies changed.

Every movie tries to evoke that perfect balance of humor and action we saw in the Guardians movie. And that is why this is the best Guardians of the Galaxy movie so far. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 comes out in early May 2023, and the trailers look promising. Will James Gunn be able to pull it off for the third and final time?

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