Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's Second Weekend Box Office Is an Encouraging Sign for the MCU

By Jamie Lovett - May 13, 2023 12:03 pm EDT

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 could reach 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 staying power in its second weekend is a good sign for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will earn an estimated $58 million in its second weekend, down 51% 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. That suggests that strong reviews and word of mouth are sending the message that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is more worth going to a theater for than the previous Marvel Studios post-pandemic releases, perhaps 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 $7 million. The full list of the top 10 films at the box office this weekend follows.

1. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Week Two
Weekend: $58 million
Total: $210.7 million

Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, Peter Quill must rally his team to defend the universe and protect one of their own. If the mission is not completely successful, it could possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.

James Gunn wrote and directed Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, capping off his trilogy of space-based Marvel Studios films. The movie star Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Zoe Saldaña as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, with Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot and Bradley Cooper as the voice of Rocket, Sean Gunn as Kraglin, Chukwudi Iwuji as The High Evolutionary, Will Poulter as Adam Warlock, and Maria Bakalova as the voice of Cosmo.

2. The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Week Six
Weekend: $13.3 million
Total: $536.2 million

With help from Princess Peach, Mario gets ready to square off against the all-powerful Bowser to stop his plans from conquering the world.

Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic directed The Super Mario Bros. Movie from a screenplay by Matthew Fogel. The film's voice cast includes Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen, Fred Armisen, Sebastian Maniscalco, Charles Martinet, and Kevin Michael Richardson.

3. Book Club: The Next Chapter

Opening Weekend
Total: $7 million

Four best friends take their book club to Italy for the fun girls trip they never had. When things go off the rails and secrets are revealed, their relaxing vacation turns into a once-in-a-lifetime cross-country adventure.

Bill Holderman wrote and directed Book Club: The Next Chapter. The film stars Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, Giancarlo Giannini, Andy García, and Don Johnson.

4. Evil Dead Rise

Week Four
Weekend: $3.9 million
Total: $60.3 million

A reunion between two estranged sisters gets cut short by the rise of flesh-possessing demons, thrusting them into a primal battle for survival as they face the most nightmarish version of family imaginable.

Lee Cronin wrote and directed Evil Dead Rise, which is the fifth installment of the Evil Dead series, created by Sam Raimi. It stars Lily Sullivan, Alyssa Sutherland, Morgan Davies, Gabrielle Echols, and Nell Fisher.

5. Hypnotic

ben-affleck-hypnotic-movie-trailer-robert-rodriguez.jpg — (Photo: Studio 8)

Opening Weekend
Total: $2.3 million

Determined to find his missing daughter, Detective Danny Rourke finds himself spiraling down a rabbit hole while investigating a series of reality-bending crimes. Aided by Diana Cruz, a gifted psychic, Rourke simultaneously pursues and is pursued by a lethal specter, the one man he believes holds the key to finding the girl.

Robert Rodriguez directed Hypnotic from a screenplay he co-wrote with Max Borenstein. It stars Ben Affleck, Alice Braga, J. D. Pardo, Hala Finley, Dayo Okeniyi, Jeff Fahey, Jackie Earle Haley, and William Fichtner.

6. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret

Week Three
Weekend: $2.15 million
Total: $16.1 million

Raised by a Christian mother and a Jewish father, an adolescent girl starts to ask questions about religion and faith.

Kelly Fremon Craig wrote and directed Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, based on Judy Blume's 1970 novel of the same name. It stars Abby Ryder Fortson, Rachel McAdams, Elle Graham, Benny Safdie, and Kathy Bates.

7. John Wick: Chapter 4

Week Eight
Weekend: $1.9 million
Total: $182.8 million

With the price on his head ever increasing, legendary hitman John Wick takes his fight against the High Table global as he seeks out the most powerful players in the underworld, from New York to Paris to Japan to Berlin.

Chad Stahelski directed John Wick: Chapter 4 from a screenplay written by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch. The film stars Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Laurence Fishburne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Lance Reddick, Rina Sawayama, Scott Adkins, and Ian McShane.

8. Love Again

Week Two
Weekend: $1.58 million
Total: $5 million

Coping with the loss of her fiance, Mira Ray sends a series of romantic texts to his old cellphone number, not realizing it was reassigned to journalist Rob Burns. Rob becomes captivated by the honesty of her words in the beautifully constructed texts. When he's assigned to write a profile of superstar Celine Dion, he enlists her help to figure out how to meet Mira in person -- and win her heart.

James C. Strouse wrote and directed Love Again, which is an English-language remake of the 2016 German film SMS für Dich, based on Sofie Cramer's novel of the same name. It stars Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Sam Heughan, and Celine Dion.

9. Air

Week Six
Weekend: $902,000
Total: $51.7 million

Sonny Vaccaro and Nike pursue basketball rookie Michael Jordan, creating a partnership that revolutionizes the world of sports and contemporary culture.

Ben Affleck directed Air from a screenplay by Alex Convery, based on true events. The movie stars Affleck, Matt Damon, Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, Chris Messina, Chris Tucker, and Viola Davis.

10. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

dungeons-and-dragons-honor-among-thieves-dvd-blu-ray-cover-art.jpg — (Photo: Paramount)

Week Seven
Weekend: $800,000
Total: $92.2 million

A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers embark on an epic quest to retrieve a long lost relic, but their charming adventure goes dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people.

Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley directed Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves from a screenplay they co-wrote with Michael Gilio, based on a story by Gilio and Chris McKay, inspired by the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop roleplaying game and set in its Forgotten Realms campaign setting. The movie stars Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, and Hugh Grant.