Marvel's Cosmic Universe Films Won't Feel Like 'Guardians Of The Galaxy'

Guardians of the Galaxy was a universe apart from the rest of the Marvel movies. While the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe were subject to the control of the #ItsAllConnected mantra, with tons of world-building and cameos implemented into the separate films, Guardians of the Galaxy had the freedom to be a wholly separate story unto itself.

But as the MCU expands, so does Guardians of the Galaxy's role in it. The third film in the Guardians of the Galaxy series, helmed again by director James Gunn, will play a pivotal role in introducing the Marvel cosmic universe. But Gunn assures that although Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be the first in this cosmic era, every film that follows it won't follow the Guardians template.

With Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe winding down with the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4, the Marvel films are gearing up for a galaxy-wide shake-up. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the second sequel to Gunn's surprise 2014 hit, is intended to usher in the MCU's expansion into the "cosmic universe," dealing more with adventures in space than avenging the Earth.

Gunn hasn't yet begun production for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and we're not sure yet of the plans for films in this cosmic universe. But Gunn assures us that the cosmic films following Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 won't just be clones of his successful space-opera series. He told Collider:

"I would hope that in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole, every movie has its own unique feel and tone. And so, if it's a James Gunn movie, it's different from a Ryan Coogler movie, which is different from a Taika movie, which is different from a Peyton Reed movie. I think all the movies can be their own genre, they can be their own thing in the same way that if you grew up reading Marvel Comics, all the writers and the artist of the comic books brought very different tones to each of those."

While I'm sure the cosmic films will somewhat ape the colorful, vibrant tones introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy, and continued in what we've seen of Thor: Ragnarok, I'm not worried of Marvel cosmic movies having too similar of a tone to Guardians. While Marvel films can sometimes feel a bit formulaic thanks to redundant plot structures, Marvel movies' strengths are in their adherence to a particular style or genre. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a Cold War-inspired spy thriller, Ant-Man a heist film. No two films are exactly alike.

And while I welcome more of the trippy, bold aesthetic of the cosmic movies, I also welcome variety. In a movie landscape oversaturated with superhero movies, variety is the least we can ask for.