The Artistic Mastery Behind Marvel's ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

The artistic vision of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" reaches its pinnacle in the third installment, embodying a cult and retro feel that is both grotesque and strangely beautiful. This duality of horror and beauty is a fitting summation of the film's aesthetic design.

A standout example is the High Evolutionary's planet, Orgoscope. It is a bizarre yet highly realistic celestial body, entirely grown from flesh and bone. While the concept of a bio-organic planet is not wholly novel, transforming it into a visual spectacle is challenging.

The art director, Beth Mickle, and her team reportedly delved into James Gunn's early cult film "Slither" for inspiration and extensively researched surgical procedures to understand the texture, color, and porosity of bones. The result is a planet that mirrors the internal hues of human cheeks — a shimmering composition of rose and pink with visible veins. Yet, it retains an architectural graphic language, intertwining restricted color materials. Fleshy white and pink plants sprawl everywhere, yellow liquid abounds, and even the guards' uniforms incorporate a trendy red.

Amber yellow, a highlight within Orgoscope, punctuates the climax scenes and represents the life fluid nourishing the planet. Gunn seamlessly extends the peculiar and violent aesthetic style from "Suicide Squad" into this film.

Another intriguing design is the exclusive spaceship of the Guardians, named Bowie. Handcrafted with a tool-cut and assembled feel, it resembles a colossal circular saw. Akin to a muscle car within a cosmic vessel, its interiors, covering nearly 2000 square meters, are mostly practical sets.

With its three layers, Bowie boasts the most enormous cockpit in Marvel's history. The design team aimed for a fresh appearance while retaining the signature aesthetic of the "Guardians of the Galaxy" series. Bold use of burgundy and raspberry-like pink and vibrant turquoise gives the interior and exterior a vintage and trendy texture.

In a departure from the increasingly CGI-laden Marvel productions, James Gunn opts for extensive live-action shooting in the third installment, achieving impressive audience immersion. The internal compartments of Bowie, divided into seven different zones, eschew conventional segmentation, instead structuring spaces based on visual cohesion, allowing smooth transitions for the camera to follow actors.

The opening sequence introducing Knowhere is another highlight, seemingly a practical set of substantial scale. Spanning almost 4000 square meters, four stories high, with only the top and the outer space visible through windows expanded using green screens, it hosts various locales like the famous Boot of Jemiah, Rocket's bar, and an arsenal, all seamlessly interconnected with the streets. The walls and spaces exhibit realistic textures, adhering to the aesthetic style of the Guardians series.

Nowhere is a blend of retrofitted sci-fi props and devices, requiring the art team to repurpose collected "junk." Maintaining a consistent style is crucial.

The final entry is the High Evolutionary's spaceship, starkly different from the skull-like organic structure of Knowhere. A minimalist geometric form with sharp angles, the throne room introduces curves, seamlessly merging with a large window overlooking the anti-Earth. Vertical frames add graphic elements, extending to the ceiling, with the High Evolutionary's throne appearing suspended.

This one is open and refined in stark contrast to other evil and grim experimental spaces. The intention is to impart a sense of the High Evolutionary overseeing his domain from the throne room. The underground, where experiments unfold for his sinister creations, remains concealed—a dark, confined, and secret chamber in ironic juxtaposition to the vast, bright, and open space above.

Beyond the scenes, a monumental element contributing to the retro and bizarre aesthetic is the extensive use of large-scale character special effects makeup. The anti-Earth teems had peculiar humanoid creatures portrayed entirely by actors adorned with silicone headpieces and prosthetics, purportedly breaking records for the most significant number of special effects makeup in a film. The makeup team installed over 22,500 prosthetics for over 100 main actors and 1,000 extras, utilizing nearly 700 wigs and 117 contact lenses. This effort contributes significantly to creating a rich and immersive environment.

Each character sports a unique 3D-printed headpiece, integrating a skeletal feel. Some feature magnetized ears and prosthetic hair, with cups attached to chins, allowing beaks to open when actors speak.

These bizarre designs evoke memories of early sci-fi films like the "Planet of the Apes" series, once groundbreaking and novel, now paying homage and perfectly aligning with the action-comedy style of the "Guardians of the Galaxy" series.