Part 5/13:

One of the rare recent successes is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which garnered both critical praise and exceeded $800 million globally. While financially solid, this figure is still marginal considering the estimated $400 million spent on production and marketing. Excluding the additional $85 million from the Chinese box office—an advantage Guardians had that others did not—the film's performance aligns closely with earlier MCU films like Thor: Love and Thunder. This suggests that even recent successes are not as impactful as hoped, highlighting the need for a genuine hit to restore confidence.