Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's Second Weekend Box Office Numbers Are In

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 did not achieve the same heights as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in its opening weekend, even after having its weekend haul revised upward, but it's showing staying power in its second weekend, which is good news for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will earn an estimated $60.5 million in its second weekend, down 49% from its opening weekend total. That's the best second-weekend holdover for any of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy movies, and the best hold for any Marvel Cinematic Universe since the COVID-19 pandemic began, which suggests that strong reviews and word of mouth are sending the message that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 may be more worth going to a theater for than the previous Marvel Studios post-pandemic releases, drawing in lapsed fans. Whether Marvel can keep that momentum going with The Marvels in November, building up its previous box office consistency, remains to be seen. 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has done well with critics, earning an 81% "Certified Fresh" score on Rotten Tomatoes and a critics consensus reading, "A galactic group hug that might squeeze a little too tight on the heartstrings, the final Guardians of the Galaxy is a loving last hurrah for the MCU's most ragtag family." It's performing even better with audiences, or at least those that participate in Rotten Tomatoes' audience score rating, which stands at 96% for the film. ComicBook.com's Patrick Cavanaugh awarded Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 4 out of 5 stars in his review of the film. He writes:

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the culmination of everything James Gunn has been building toward with these characters, warts and all. The adventure is the most abjectly emotional, as it goes for the jugular with not only Rocket's story, but the destination that many other characters arrive at, while the filmmaker also manages to put his mark on a studio known for regurgitating formulaic adventures packed with overwhelming sameness. The introduction of arbitrary supporting characters and inconsequential villains is yet another reminder of the Marvel machine, and while there's plenty of side quests and self-aggrandizing, the impact of Rocket's emotional arc is one of the most powerful we've seen in the entire MCU, the inventiveness of action sequences, and a cathartic third act manage to send the trilogy out on a high note."

The Super Mario Bros. Movie remains in the second place spot on the box office chart, while Book Club: The Second Chapter opens with $6.5 million. The full list of the top 10 films at the box office this weekend follows.