It's been quite a while since we last saw the Guardians of the Galaxy, and reunion feels long overdue. Luckily for all of us, James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is set to hit theaters in less than two months, and it will bring back all of the zany antics that we loved the first time around. Anticipation and buzz for the film are currently white hot, and it's now looking like the long-awaited sequel will easily crack into nine figures during its opening weekend.
According to a new report from Box Office Pro, it's becoming increasingly apparent that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 could be the film to beat this summer. As of right now, the film is currently looking at a massive $160 million. The original Guardians of the Galaxy pulled in an unexpectedly impressive $93.4 million when it hit theaters back in 2014 (which led to a $773 million total box office gross), but the unanticipated success of James Gunn's first installment in this series has considerably raised all bars for success.
The entire Guardians of the Galaxy franchise has easily become one of Marvel Studios' biggest assets over the course of the last few years. Nobody initially expected the obscure source material to become as successful and influential as it has, but the stylistic choices made in the original Guardians have gone on to influence the future of the genre as a whole. Movies like Suicide Squad have taken noticeable cues from Guardians of the Galaxy's irreverence, and there's a case to be made that the original Guardians served as proof of concept that an action-comedy hybrid like Deadpool could ultimately work.
Beyond its financial success, the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise has also effectively turned Chris Pratt and Dave Bautista into bonafide movie stars. I don't think anyone is complaining about that.
As more and more marketing material related to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 has come forward, it has become obvious that the sequel will double down on everything that audiences loved the first time around. Marvel Studios has basically written James Gunn a blank check to embrace irreverence anyway he sees fit, and that means we will likely have another rip-roaring sci-fi adventure to kick off the summer.
As always, we will bring you more information related to the future of the Guardians of the Galaxy series (as well as the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe) as new updates are made available to us. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will hit theaters later this year on May 4.
If you're looking for a more In-depth look at James Gunn's upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy sequel, check out a recent trailer for Vol. 2 on the next page to see the wild cosmic adventure for yourself!
