Why 'Guardians of the Galaxy' is still the best movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — yes, even better than 'Black Panther'

guardians of the galaxy

It seems like we've barely had time to get over the thrill of watching "Black Panther" before "Avengers: Infinity War" tumbles into theaters on April 27 as the "most ambitious crossover in history."

Indeed, "Infinity War" is what the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe — 10 years and 18 movies — has been building toward.

And for many, "Black Panther" has been the best of the bunch up until now. It is now the highest-domestic grossing superhero movie of all time.

But to me, "Black Panther" still isn't the MCU's best movie. That honor goes to 2014's "Guardians of the Galaxy," an insanely fun, surprisingly touching, and all-around great movie that never should have worked.

I understand why some people consider "Black Panther" the best of the best, and even see the arguments for other standout movies in the MCU, such as "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" or "The Avengers."

But which of those 18 movies is the best to me? Which one sticks with me personally? The answer is most certainly "Guardians of the Galaxy."

Below are 7 reasons why:

A strong ensemble cast that perfectly embodies the characters — who were largely unknown before the movie.

As mentioned, "Guardians of the Galaxy" is a superhero movie that never should have worked. It features characters largely unknown to general audiences — two of which are a walking, humanoid tree that can only say three words and a talking, genetically modified raccoon. Even more so than "Thor" — about an alien god — "Guardians" was the Marvel Cinematic Universe's first real test. Just what would audiences go along with?

Well, a lot. Thanks to a strong ensemble cast, these bizarre characters are now just as well-known and admired in the MCU as Tony Stark. What's more impressive is that these characters didn't have the benefit of being introduced in an earlier movie like Black Panther or Spider-Man.

It's the movie that introduced the world to the now mega-popular Chris Pratt as an unlikely, quirky action hero. And even more unlikely but proven to be possible, Dave Bautista steals the show as the awkwardly delightful Drax.

It's not just that the actors bring to life their characters so well, it's that they have such good chemistry. The Guardians are a family — a highly dysfunctional one, but a family nonetheless, and that makes them different than many other super-teams.

James Gunn.

No other MCU movie has James Gunn at the helm, and his passion both behind the camera and away from it helps make "Guardians" the best of them.

The actors help make their respective characters so likable, but it's Gunn's direction, attention to detail, and engagement with fans that make the "Guardians" movies — yes, even the sequel — so fun even after the credits have rolled.

Gunn's social media presence is notable for engaging with fans and answering questions. He's not shy about revealing new tidbits about the movies. For instance, he recently revealed that the Baby Groot seen in "Vol. 2" is actually the original Groot's son, who sacrifices himself at the end of the first film.

There's also a bevy of Easter eggs hidden in "Guardians of the Galaxy," and Gunn has claimed that there is one Easter egg that fans have not discovered yet. It's this kind of engagement that heightens the experience of watching "Guardians."

It was the first movie in the MCU that didn't feel like it was part of the MCU.

Being a movie within the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become a trustworthy trait, so it's not a bad thing by any means. But in regards to "Guardians of the Galaxy," the movie works so well because it doesn't feel stuck in that universe, or pressured to tie into the larger events of it.

Sure, it sets up Thanos as a future bad guy and much of the story revolves around an Infinity Stone that Thanos will be after in "Avengers: Infinity War," but that feels natural and secondary to the characters' relationships. "Guardians" brings the action to planets we hadn't seen before; there's no S.H.I.E.L.D. or Nick Fury or Tony Stark. Again, none of those things are bad, but for this particular movie, it was refreshing and only made it better.

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