‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ Reaches $140 Million On Opening Weekend

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 opened in theaters Friday, May 5. On opening day, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 earned $56.3 million, including the previews on Thursday night, and soared to an estimated $140 million at over 4 thousand North American theater locations for the weekend.

According to Variety, Disney had projected that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 would bring in between $140 and $150 million on its opening weekend, though other forecasts had projected it at $150 million. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 fits within Disney’s projected goal, earning roughly 85 percent of the total box office profits on Friday.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is the fifth largest opening in a Marvel film, following The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, and Iron Man 3. Guardians of the Galaxy earned $94 million on its first weekend, so if the estimates hold, then Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will exit its first weekend having earned about 50 percent the earnings of its predecessor.

As for Thursday previews, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 earned $17 million, making it the biggest film title for preview earnings this year, and the third-largest for Marvel films. Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Captain America: Civil War beat it out with $27.6 million and $25 million respectively.

Marvel film fans were introduced to the unorthodox group of superheroes in Guardians of the Galaxy three years ago, instantly falling in love with Rocket, a genetically engineered racoon, Drax the Destroyer, a man out to avenge the death of his family, Gamora, the adopted daughter of Thanos, Peter Quill/Star-Lord, the leader of the group, and especially Groot, the walking, talking tree who is only able to say the words “I am Groot.”

In the first film, the characters met and formed the team, now, in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the group returns on another mission, this time to help Peter Quill discover more about his past, and the identity of his father. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 not only brings the Guardians back into the spotlight, including Baby Groot, but it also introduces new characters.

Both Guardians of the Galaxy films were written and directed by James Gunn, and started Chris Pratt as Star-Lord, Vin Diesel as Groot, Dave Bautista as Drax, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, and Bradley Cooper as Rocket Racoon, and also featured Karen Gillan as Gamora’s sister Nebula, and Michael Rooker as Yondu, the man who raised Peter Quill.

So, what is next for the Guardians and the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Will there be a third Guardians of the Galaxy movie? Time says yes. According to them, Marvel Studios has already said that the Guardians will fight alongside the Avengers in the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War, set to come out next year, and that there will be one more Guardians of the Galaxy movie in the future. James Gunn will, again, write and direct Guardians of the Galaxy 3, and he has said that it will be last Guardians of the Galaxy film.

“We’re going to come to an epic conclusion of who the Guardians are and why they were brought together, and I can’t wait to tell that story to the people.”

Although the final film in the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy will not be out until 2019 at the earliest, there is still plenty in store to keep Marvel fans excited. Spider-Man: Homecoming is set to premiere in July of this year, followed by Thor: Ragnarok in November. Next year, fans will get to see Black Panther, which comes out in February, Avengers: Infinity War the following May, Ant-Man and The Wasp in July, and Captain Marvel in March.

Marvel Studios is going to be very busy over the next few years, but fans can be assured that the wait for new films will be well worth it. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is in theaters now, so fans have something to tide them over until the release of the next film.

[Featured Image by Joel Ryan/AP Images]