Is the depiction of animal cruelty in the film too brutal?

Yes, it’s quite terrifying to see Floor (Mikaela Hoover), a cute bunny who has inexplicably been given mechanical spider legs and a snout to match her enhanced intellect. Yes, seeing Teefs (Asim Chaudry)’s wheels and eye devices or Lylla’s (Linda Cardellini) mechanical arms can be unsettling. That being said, much of the horror lies in their character design, and aside from Rocket’s initial pain, the other Batch 89 members seem largely unfazed by their extensive modifications. They’re a friendly, positive, and upbeat bunch to the end – and if Rocket’s cardiac arrest vision is any indication, the fun goes way beyond the veil. Additionally, Rocket and his team later do whatever it takes to rescue every single animal from the doomed ship of the High Evolutionary, so the overall tone of the film is very animal-friendly throughout. It is the antagonist of the film who does not.

Aside from the obligatory friendship, one of the most obvious central themes of the film is that it takes a truly despicable human being to torture animals. The High Evolutionary is one of the very few MCU villains that doesn’t have any redeeming traits whatsoever. He is a cruel and ruthless man who spends every moment of his waking life playing god. He cares so little for others that he treats his creations as entirely disposable intellectual property and openly mocks Rocket at the worst moment in the young raccoon’s life. This villain isn’t just a villain – he’s the worst.

As graphic as Batch 89’s mods are, it’s perfectly clear that only a civilization-destroying madman like the High Evolutionary would do such things to them and his other experiments. As a result, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is less of an animal cruelty movie and more of a passionate commentary against Animal cruelty.