SPOILER WARNING: The following contains significant spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3.
With the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, one of the best parts of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has come to a definitive close. The movie has all the action and humor that fans certainly expect, but it also has some of the most emotional moments of any superhero movie to date.
The thing that makes Guardians of the Galaxy stand out among the MCU titles and superhero movies more generally is not the action, but the emotion. Most superhero movies haven't made us feel the way this franchise has. It hits right in the feels so many times. This is a celebration of the moments that made Guardians of the Galaxy hurt so good.
The Opening Scene (Guardians Of The Galaxy)
The emotional gut punches in this franchise started at the very beginning. If you saw the trailers for the original Guardians of the Galaxy, then you went in expecting to see a fun and funny superhero outer space adventure with some surprising music choices. And yet, the movie opened with a scene where a 12-year-old boy watches his mother die of cancer.
This was not the movie we were expecting, and it delivers a powerful emotional moment from the beginning. We eventually get the humorous action movie we're expecting, but Guardians of the Galaxy sets the tone early that this franchise is going to be a whole lot more than just outer space adventure.
Rocket’s Drunken Breakdown (Guardians Of The Galaxy)
When we first meet Rocket, he’s a bit of a smart mouth with a very tough exterior, and for the most part, he’s got the skills to back up the talk. But after the Guardians escape from prison and make it to Knowhere, Rocket has a bit too much to drink and we see what’s underneath the exterior for the first time.
Rocket and Drax get into a fight after Rocket perceives disrespect coming from him. Rocket is ready to throw down but he’s also clearly hurt by it all. At this point, we don’t know Rocket's origins, but it’s still heartbreaking to see that whatever happened to him early in his life has done damage.
We Are Groot (Guardians Of The Galaxy)
By the end of the first Guardians of the Galaxy, we are all firmly in the corner of this team of misfits. We want to see them succeed and most importantly we want to see them do it together. Unfortunately, we don’t get that chance, as Groot makes the decision to sacrifice himself in order to protect the rest of his friends.
Rocket’s heartbreak is our own. He doesn’t want to lose his friend. And Groot’s final words, “We are Groot,” resonate with all of us. While we would see a Groot again, this Groot does die at this moment, meaning that we never got to spend the time with him that we wanted.
I Just Wanted A Sister (Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2)
There is no character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with an arc quite like Nebula's. In the first film, she’s a villain, and by the end, she’s a full-fledged Guardian of the Galaxy – and her emotional journey is even more incredible. It really begins in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 when we learn just how traumatic it is to be a daughter of Thanos.
After Nebula and Gamora have ceased trying to murder each other, we learn about what Thanos put them through, the abuse that Nebula suffered, and how she blames the stronger Gamora for not protecting her from their father. It’s an incredible confession for Gamora to hear, and the last thing we as an audience expect, which is why it hurts so much for her and for us.
Rocket & Yondu (Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2)
Nebula is far from the only one in Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 to face uncomfortable truths. After escaping captivity from the Ravagers, Yondu and Rocket both do the same when Yondu admits his own trauma – having been sold into slavery by his parents as a child. He understands how it damaged him, and how it impacts his own relationships, especially with Peter. Yondu sees a kindred spirit in Rocket.
It’s an emotional scene standing on its own, but it’s even more powerful after seeing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and realizing just how close to the mark Yondu really was when it came to where Rocket was coming from.
Ego’s Reveal (Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2)
Peter’s trauma began with the death of his mother. Such a moment is hard for most people, but for a boy who wasn’t able to be there for her, it haunts him that much more. He’s able to find some degree of closure at the end of the first movie, but meeting his father Ego in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 reopens old wounds.
Those wounds cut even deeper when it’s revealed that Peter’s mother Meredith died because Ego himself caused her cancer. Losing a loved one is hard enough when it is a random unavoidable act. That Meredith died due to an overt act by somebody who claimed to love her is heartbreaking. We see the pain this revelation causes in Peter and it hits us just as hard.
He Wasn’t Your Daddy (Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2)
Guardians of the Galaxy is a story about a found family– people who bond with each other not because of where they are from but because of what they have shared. Ego is Peter Quill's biological father, but he wasn’t the man who raised him. That honor, and responsibility, fell to Yondu.
It’s certainly true that Yondu wasn’t a perfect father. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 doesn’t absolve him of what he did to Peter, but it does open the door to the possibility of forgiveness. Unfortunately, Yondu does not live to see that forgiveness for himself, as in the same moment Peter realizes who his father truly was, he losses him. Whatever relationship this father and son could have had is lost.
Peter Shoots Gamora (Avengers: Infinity War)
Not every heartbreaking emotional moment for the Guardians of the Galaxy came from one of the trilogy films. Avengers: Infinity War spends a lot of time with the team and includes some moments that are just as heavy as anything written by James Gunn. The first comes when the unthinkable happens, and Peter nearly kills Gamora.
She asked him to do it if circumstances require it, and they do in the moment. While the effort isn’t successful, it’s perhaps almost worse for that reason. Peter is forced to face the fact that he pulled the trigger, believing, at that moment, that he has killed the woman he loves, while also having to accept the fact that Thanos still took her away. It makes Star-Lord's breakdown at the climax of the film all the more understandable.
Gamora’s Death (Avengers: Infinity War)
Gamora’s death thanks to the Soul Stone is without question one of the most emotional moments not only for the Guardians of the Galaxy, but also for the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe to date. Up to that moment, Gamora had spent the entire time we knew her trying to free herself from the oppression of Thanos, and she is unable to do so. In the end, when it comes to their relationship, he wins.
After the events of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and understanding what a monster Thanos is, Gamora is one of the people that you want to see standing tall when the Mad Titan is beaten. You feel like she’s earned at least that much. And while Gamora does survive the events in a sense, the original version of her is gone forever.
Rocket’s Origin (Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3)
If you thought the opening sequence of the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie was painful, the opening of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 might be even worse. The new film is very much Rocket’s story, and so with that comes a complete understanding of his history, and the movie starts with the worst parts.
Rocket isn’t just a victim of cruelty, he’s reborn from it. The opening montage shows us just what Rocket was put through to make him the hero who we know and love. It’s no wonder the sequence is set to a brooding, acoustic version of “Creep.” Even Rocket doesn’t know what to make of himself.
Lylla’s Death (Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3)
Throughout Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, we learn about Rocket’s pre-Guardians life through a series of flashback sequences. We see how he was created and how he made his first friends among others that were created as he was. Four of them, including an otter with mechanical arms named Lylla, make plans to get away together. Unfortunately, in their attempted escape, Rocket’s friends are killed, with Lylla literally dying in his arms.
It’s not just the death of characters that hurts, it’s watching what their deaths do to Rocket. It’s at this moment that everything about him becomes clear. All of his trauma, his difficulty connecting with others, comes back to this single moment and we feel it in his scream of emotional pain.
The Farewell (Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3)
And then we find ourselves at the end. Somehow, against all odds, the Guardians of the Galaxy have survived, and yet, they fall apart all the same. Each member of the Guardians of the Galaxy realizes that the place they now need to be is somewhere else.
We knew that one way or another, this moment was coming, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less. They have been through so much, and we've been there right along with them. It’s been an impressive journey and one that we won’t soon forget.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is now playing in theaters. For a look at what's ahead for the characters in the beloved branch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, check out our Upcoming Marvel Movies and Upcoming Marvel TV guides.
