No one expected Guardians of the Galaxy to be the smash hit it is today. Now, three years after the first movie came out, the team is one of Marvel's most popular properties and even has their own ride at Disney's California Adventures theme park. Somehow a talking, gun-touting raccoon, and a giant tree made it to the big-screen before Wonder Woman, and audiences can't get enough of the rag-tag space team.
James Gunn has solidified his position as one of the MCU's best storytellers. Not only did he direct both Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 of the franchise, but he also wrote both screenplays - though the first film was co-written with . At the moment, Gunn is hard at work writing Vol. 3, making him the first MCU filmmaker to helm his own trilogy. While he's already said that he doesn't plan on returning for Vol. 4, he and Kevin Feige are hard at work trying to figure out ways to expand the cosmic side of things after Infinity War. Audiences may not have known the Guardians a few years ago, but now they are one of the MCU's core pillars - and they show no sign of slowing down!
Fanboys and girls may think they know the Guardians, but they'll be surprised to discover these 15 Things Everyone Gets Wrong About the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Rocket Should Have a Cockney Accent
Even though Rocket Raccoon seems like a rip-off of Mickey Mouse or Daffy Duck, he's actually derived from The Beatles song "Rocky Raccoon." His cocky attitude and gunslinger qualities come right out of the song. When the character was first introduced in Marvel Preview issue #7, his speech was presented in such a way to hint at a thick, British accent.
While the character has existed ever since 1976, he didn't gain a sense of notoriety outside comics until 2011's Marvel Vs. Capcom 3. In the game, voice actor Greg Ellis embed the character with a rough, Cockney accent that matched his British roots.
Apparently Bradley Cooper had discussions with James Gunn and other producers on Guardians of the Galaxy to determine whether or not he would have a cockney accent in the movie, but clearly Marvel chose to go a different direction with the character. Neither Cooper nor Trevor Devall, the voice behind the character's animated version, use a cockney accent.
This is Not the Groot You are Looking For
Audiences may know Groot as the Guardians' lovable, dancing mascot who only says "I am Groot," but that's not the only version of the character. Originally, Groot was an alien who visited Earth to capture humans to study. He's fought the Hulk and even stampeded over New York City with a group of giant monsters.
The Groot that movie audiences know and love wasn't introduced until Marvel's 2007 "Annihilation: Conquest" story line. When we first meet him, he is depicted as the last living member of the Flora Colossi species and is imprisoned by the Kree. Groot is only freed from prison because he joins Star-Lord's new task force.
There, on the team that would eventually become the Guardians of the Galaxy, Groot met Rocket Raccoon and the two quickly bonded because Rocket immediately understood him.
Adam Warlock and Mantis Were On the First Team
When Star-Lord assembled his task force that would evolve into the Guardians of Galaxy, the roster was not identical to the on-screen version. Familiar faces like Drax and Gamora were there, but Adam Warlock and Mantis were also part of the team.
Both of these original team members have been introduced or hinted at in the MCU. Mantis officially joined the team in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Warlock was alluded to in the film's final after-credit scene. O
riginally Warlock was created by generic, evil scientists on Earth in an attempt to make the perfect human, but it seems likely that Ayesha will be one of his creators in the film. He has good intentions and can be a hero, but he also has a dark secret. Warlock has an alternate personality named Magus who has tried to use the power of the Infinity Gauntlet for himself.
Peter Quill Isn't The Only Star-Lord
In many ways, Peter Quill is the quintessential American boy. Raised in Colorado, Quill eventually decided to join NASA and explore the final frontier in order to avoid his tragic past.
After his ship malfunctions and he is stranded in space, he is discovered by the Ravagers and joins their quasi-pirate gang. Soon he develops the Star-Lord title and decides to patrol the Universe. Years later Quill finds himself in quite a different position. After he is elected to be the new leader of Spartax, he understandably has to step away from the Guardians. At this time, his long-term girlfriend, Kitty Pryde from the X-Men, takes his spot on the team and operates as Star-Lord.
Unfortunately, due to the fact Fox holds the movie rights to Kitty Pryde, audiences will likely never get to see her challenge Quill for the mantle on the big-screen. Not only does she prove herself extremely capable of patrolling the galaxy and wielding a space pistol, but it's fun to see Quill deal with a different, more mature set of responsibilities.
Gamora and Nebula Aren't True Sisters
The child-like rivalry between Gamora and Nebula is one of the most interesting relationships in the Guardians franchise. The two consider themselves sisters, but in fact they aren't even blood related.
Gamora was adopted by Thanos after he wiped out the rest of the Zehoberei race and murdered her parents right in front of her. Similarly, Nebula grew up under his service and was raised to be an assassin. As they aged, Thanos constantly experimented on them, adding cybernetic upgrades in an attempt to make the ultimate weapon.
Thanos would force the two to spar and Gamora would win ever time. After every battle, Nebula was forced to endure more upgrades in an attempt to make her Gamora's equal, causing Nebula to develop a bitter, vindictive outlook on both her adopted sister and father.
Ego Isn't Star-Lord's Father
Most people think Ego the Living Planet, played by Kurt Russel in GOTG2, is Star-Lord's father. Ego is a celestial, an extremely powerful being who essentially considers himself to be a god. In the movie, his plan to strip people of freewill and reshape the universe is enough to snap Peter from his hypnotic influence and stop his evil plan.
In the comics, his father is J'son, Emperor of the Spartax people. Similar to Ego, he is an alien, meaning Peter Quill is still half alien and half human, but J'son doesn't have any reality-bending powers.
After his ship crashes on Earth, Meredith Quill takes J'son in and the two quickly develop a relationship as he tries to fix his ride. Unfortunately, he leaves Earth without ever learning that Meredith is pregnant with his future son.
Bradley Cooper May Voice Rocket, But He's Not Playing Him
Bradley Cooper, the Oscar nominated actor from American Sniper and Silver Linings Playbook, voices Rocket Raccoon for the big-screen. While some actors, like Andy Serkis in the Planet of the Apes franchise, provide both the voice and movement for their motion capture characters, Cooper hasn't slipped into a tracking suit quite yet.
In addition to playing Kraglin in both movies, Sean Gunn - director James Gunn's younger brothe - brought Rocket Raccoon's mannerisms and movements to life. Gunn moves around set on all fours whenever he plays Rocket and there are many scenes where his two characters come face-to-face.
Gunn told the Hollywood Reporter that he definitely feels the physical impact of playing Rocket, but said that "[taking] care of yourself and [having] your body be in the right shape to do your job is part of my job."
Groot Can Learn New Words
It's clear at this point that Groot knows how to communicate. His signature catchphrase, "I am Groot," can be understood in countless ways by those close to him. The truth of the matter is Groot knows how to speak and is even capable of learning new words, he just continually restricts his word choice.
At the end of Guardians of the Galaxy, Groot sacrifices himself to save his teammates in a way nearly identical to the end of the Guardians first arc together in 2007. Right as he takes this action, he says the word "we" proving that he can add new words to his vocabulary.
How cool would it be if we hear Groot scream "Avengers Assemble" or "We are Guardians" at some point during Infinity War?
Star-Lord Isn't a Slacker, He's an Emperor
One of the first things that comes to mind when one thinks of Star-Lord is his relaxed attitude and "sick" dance skills. More often than not he does the right thing, but he's a bit of a slacker. Peter Quill has to quickly mature so he can deal with problems larger and more complex than anything he's used to.
After his father J'son of Spartax falls out of favor with his people, they elect Quill to be their new emperor. Originally, he ignores the call to the throne and spends time adventuring with the Guardians and dealing with Doctor Doom during Secret Wars.
After reality is restored following Secret Wars, he finally decides to become emperor and tries his hand at ruling. Unfortunately, things quickly fall away from him as Hala and Yotat the Destroyer attack Spartax, causing a massive amount of death and destruction. Since the two were trying to kill Quill, he was blamed for the attack by his Spartax delegates and forced to leave the planet and return to his life with the Guardians.
James Gunn, Not Vin Diesel, Is Dancing Groot
Vin Diesel reportedly recorded "I am Groot" over 1000 times in 15 different languages. Similar to Bradley Cooper and Rocket Raccoon, Diesel doesn't perform the motion capture for Groot. Despite that, there were rumors that Diesel performed the moves that gave the animators inspiration for Baby Groot's movements during the opening montage to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
According to Gunn's instagram post, he did three different versions of the dance on three separate occasions. He shot the first one on an iPhone in his home so he could remember the camera angles he had in mind when they'd be putting everything together later on in post-production.
If you want to see a snippet of Gunn busting a move, click here.
Chris Pratt Wasn't Marvel's First Choice
At this point it's hard to imagine anyone but Chris Pratt playing Star-Lord on the big-screen, but Marvel definitely had other people in mind during casting. It seems everyone and their mother tried out for the role. Aaron Paul, aka Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad, and Glenn Howerton, aka Dennis from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, both screen tested for the role, along with quite a few other actors. At one point, the role was offered to Joseph Gordon-Levitt but he turned it down for a part in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.
Luckily, Pratt ended up receiving the role and really nailed Star-Lord's fun, cocky attitude. It's fitting that performance to follow his role as Andy Dwyer on Parks and Recreation.
The Soundtrack Is Not Original
At this point the Guardians movies are known for having great soundtracks. The first movie featured classic songs like "Moonage Daydream" by David Bowie and "I Want You Back" by the Jackson Five. In case anyone hasn't heard it for some reason, the best way to describe the 44 minute album is an exploration of the rock and soft-soul of the '70s and '80s.
At its peak, the album sat at number one on the US Billboard 200 charts for 11 straight weeks. The album was so stacked with classics that the filmmakers felt comfortable not developing an original song. Due to this fact, it became the first soundtrack in history without an original song to reach the top of the charts.
The soundtrack for Vol. 2 featured a lot of great songs as well, but it never hit the same level of commercial success as the first one, leveling off at number four on the Billboard 200.
Drax Dies A Lot
Ever since Drax's first appearance way back in a 1973 issue of Iron Man, the character has died quite a few times. He's had his life-force drained, been put in other bodies, and has even been possessed by alien entities. The scene in GOTG2 where Drax jumps into the body of the monster and is believed to be dead for a few moments was likely a nod to the character's bouts with death.
The character has even died at Thanos' hands in the comics. His hatred for the character has already been established in the movie universe, so it's likely that when Thanos finally makes an appearance in Avengers: Infinity War Drax will give everything he's got to take the Mad Titan down.
Perhaps Drax will be one of the rumored characters to bite the dust in Infinity War, making room for a new member on the Guardians for a little bit.
Rocket Raccoon Was Meant to Be a Throw Away Character
It may be hard to believe now, but Rocket Raccoon was originally meant as a throw away figure. In the first 30 years of his history, he only appeared in 10 comic book issues. Rocket had his own four issue mini-series in 1986 that was illustrated by Mike Mignola, the future creator of Hellboy, but beyond that, he just played small cameos in other series. Originally, the character was presented as the butt of jokes, but in time he developed more personality and heart.
In 2007, when Marvel retooled their cosmic universe with the Annihilation line of comics, the character's co-creator Keith Giffen retooled him and made him a member of the new Guardians of the Galaxy.
James Gunn told Rolling Stone that Rocket was originally presented as a "Bugs Bunny type character in the middle" in the screenplay, but that he was convinced the movie wouldn't work until Rocket had a sense of sadness that made him more than just a comedic, feisty fur ball.
This Isn't The Original Team
The Guardians of the Galaxy roster we have on the big-screen didn't come together until 2007, but that doesn't mean Star-Lord is the first leader of the Guardians. When audiences were introduced to the original Ravagers during GOTG2, we were actually being shown the original iteration of the Guardians of the Galaxy. That's right, we may get to see Sylvestor Stallone's Starhawk and Michael Rooker's Yondu on the big-screen kicking butt soon as the MCU looks to expand the cosmic side of things.
Time travel was a constant story beat in the Guardians' early adventures. Due to the fact that they didn't receive their own series until 1976, seven years after their introduction, they were constantly thrown around so heroes like the Defenders or Captain America could help them in their war against the Badoon.
Jim Valentino, who went on to co-found Image comics, gave the team their first self-titled book in 1990 that had an action-packed, fun feeling which James Gunn later drew inspiration from on his version of the Guardians.
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