In a surprising move from the visual effects company Sarofsky, the four-minute opening of the recently released Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was posted and shared through the Twitter account The Hollywood Handle. Even though Marvel is notoriously tight-lipped regarding its films’ content, especially when still in theaters, they seem to have allowed this publication as a possible form of promotion.

The opening shows off not only the film’s surprising change of tone compared to the previous two openings but allows the visual effects team to show off their work, specifically with Rocket Raccoon’s (Bradley Cooper) animation and design as he walks the streets while his friends rebuild quietly live their lives in Knowhere. This is a far cry from the first two Guardians openings’ peppy dances to classic 80’s tunes, from Peter Quill’s (Chris Pratt) introductory heist to Baby Groot’s (Vin Diesel) joyful dance. Instead, we transition from Rocket’s scarring memory of his life in a lab to him helping the rest carry a drunk Quill to bed all while he quietly sings along to Radiohead’s “Creep.”

The 4-minute opening of ‘GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3’ has been officially released online by the VFX company Sarofsky.

Read our review: https://t.co/kHOWOfMOZw pic.twitter.com/gmBkZRcKCT

— The Hollywood Handle (@hollywoodhandle) May 24, 2023

The film follows the Guardians a few years after the events of Endgame as they all deal with the fallout in various ways. After Rocket gets severely injured during an attack by Adam Warlock (Will Poulter), the crew races against time to save his life while the megalomaniac High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) closes in, seeking to finish what he started. 

PETA praised director James Gunn for his portrayal of Rocket Raccoon’s backstory where he was tormented and experimented on by the High Evolutionary and his grand ego. Throughout the film, there are several flashbacks that highlight the bonds formed by Rocket and his fellow test subjects, emphasizing their belittlement and dehumanization. As a result, the organization honored him with the “Not a Number” award, reflecting their beliefs “that animals tortured in laboratories are sentient beings and not the numbers tattooed on them.” 

With a combination of tragic characterizations and Gunn’s trademark twisted sense of humor, it’s no wonder that his trilogy’s swan song has dominated the domestic box office, earning more than $60.5 million in its second weekend while still holding onto a majority of its ticket-buyers.