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The opening weekend figures for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 were disappointing for a blockbuster in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Typically, MCU films either debut with massive numbers or at least perform strongly upfront. However, Guardians' debut was about $15 million less than Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and significantly below other Disney Marvel hits like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever or Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This underwhelming start was partly attributed to a decreased appetite for theatrical superhero releases or perhaps fatigue from omnipresent superhero saturation.