Insiders say Marvel Studios’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 has scored an impressive 100 percent after being shown to test audiences. It’s the first movie to do so since Iron Man was released by the studio in 2008.
The perfect score bests Marvel’s previous toppers, Iron Man 3 and Avengers, which tested in the high 90s, according to Hollywood Reporter.
Just because the movie tested well doesn’t mean it’ll be a hit. But, come on, this is Guardians of the Galaxy we’re talking about. The first movie was a surprise hit and is often considered one of Marvel’s best. The fact that the sequel, which got a thrilling new teaser last weekend, is doing so well isn’t much of a surprise.
Hollywood Reporter says Marvel has a “friends and family” screening policy that uses “vigorous testing” procedures, and isn’t meant as a celebratory occasion. It’s a process Marvel has employed since the first Iron Man was released, the report says.
The scores are apparently used more to see how people engage and disengage with a movie, not necessarily to judge its overall quality. Hollywood Reporter cites movies in the past, such as Pretty Woman, that didn’t test well but still performed at the box office.
We already knew it would be amazing
Considering how high the bar was set in the first Guardians, we already expected the sequel to be amazing. However, sequels can be tricky—Iron Man 2 fell flat compared to the first film—so it’s nice to hear Guardians 2 doing well among test audiences.
Again, just because a small audience enjoyed the movie doesn’t automatically mean it’ll be Marvel’s best movie ever. But it sounds like Baby Groot was just too damn cute.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hits theaters on May 5.
