Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Movie Poster

Everyone knows that sequels are not as good as the first movie – even for Marvel. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 definitely proves this.

I love Kurt Russel as Peter Quill’s father. His father, Ego, also serves as an explanation for Yondu kidnapping Peter and why Peter could hold the infinity stone without dying. However, there are many questions that remain.

First, if Ego is kind of like a god then why did it take so long for him to find Peter.  Second, why did he pretend to care about Peter before he took his power? Third, could Peter have other god-like siblings? Fourth, how come Peter could not use his powers before? And so many more questions. These plot holes leave the audience with more questions than answers.

Although I do not like Peter’s father, I do love Nebula’s character development. Gamora, Nebula, and Ronan had a weird sibling dynamic in the first movie. So, to see progress and sisterly love felt natural and real. While Nebula was a villain in this movie, she was not one-dimensional. She was mad that Gamora never let her win because this meant Thanos would tear her apart and put her back together. Nebula shares a common backstory with Rocket as they both have been torn apart and put back together numerous times.

Outside of Nebula’s character development, the overall plot of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 lacks a climax. The humor also dies down in contrast to the first movie. As a super fan of the first film, I was severely disappointed. I should not have been surprised since most movie sequels do not compare to the first film. 

However, Marvel centered the Marvel Cinematic Universe around these sequels. Iron Man has three movies and Thor is about to launch its fourth. Moreover, Marvel heavily links its movies together, making it vital to watch them all. If this logic holds true, will Marvel movies continually get worse?

All Three Iron Man Movie Posters

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 raises the big question – how will Marvel survive if they only produce sequels? Since we have already established that the sequels are always worse and Marvel is notorious for making movie series, how will the MCU survive?

One way Marvel can overcome this is through making new movies. Instead of sequels, Marvel can create new characters and storylines within the MCU. Marvel may also survive if they continue making mini-series. Series have seasons that are designed to build on each other. In fact, the series usually get better each subsequent season. Prequels and sequel series are also common.

Marvel has done a great job of intertwining the MCU movies and emerging its audience in the storylines. However, if Marvel’s success is contingent on its sequels, they may be in hot waters. If they continue to make movies like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the MCU may be at its end. There needs to be a shift. Leave a comment suggesting how you think Marvel can overcome this dilemma?