Get Even More Visitors To Your Blog, Upgrade To A Business Listing >>

Guardians of the Galaxy 2: 10 Things You Need to Know

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is fast approaching. Set for release in April this year, the countdown to the sequel is nearly over.

We at Two Honest Guys friggin’ loved Guardians of the Galaxy. It was a break from the norm, it was a treat for the adventurer in us and it hit all the buttons a Movie should. We’ve got high hopes for Guardians of the Galaxy 2, but before we get there, here are some things you need to know about the movie.

SPOILER WARNING: We have literally no insider knowledge. All the information in this blog has been pulled from news pieces and quotes from cast and crew. However, if you are the kind of person who doesn’t watch trailers because you don’t want to know anything, why the fuck did you click on this article?

The Guardians of the Galaxy 2 Soundtrack Will Probably Be Kick Ass

Guardians of the Galaxy was a breakout success and this surprising level of public affection was due to many things. The cast, the story, the production were all an exciting break from what’s been funnelled out of Hollywood recently, but something that really caught us off-guard was the soundtrack.

Consisting of an incredible array of classics from Star Lord’s era, the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack was propelled to the spot of number one album across the world. It became a big, iconic part of Guardians of the Galaxy and something that really separated it from other movies in the Marvel series.

So, will the Guardians of the Galaxy 2 soundtrack be as good?

Things are looking good so far for the Guardians of the Galaxy 2 soundtrack. In September, James Gunn revealed two of the tracks to be featured in the movie, and both very much smack of ‘Guardians’.

Clearly understanding the impact of the incredible music featured in the first movie, James Gunn appears to have really picked up his game for Guardians of the Galaxy 2’s soundtrack.

Here’s what he had to say:

The second soundtrack is great. I think it’s a more diverse soundtrack. I think the first soundtrack [had] a bunch of songs that maybe you heard but didn’t know the name of the song – you didn’t know the name of the singer. In this one, we have some really incredibly famous songs and then some songs that people have never heard. So, it’s a much more diverse soundtrack.’

With “Come a Little Bit Closer” by Jay & The Americans and “The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac already known to be part of the soundtrack, this 60s and 70s nostalgia-infused sci-fi epic is set to hit our screens in April 2017.

Ego The Living Planet is Confirmed to Appear as Star Lord’s Father

At the end of the Guardians of the Galaxy, we were all left wondering who Star Lord’s mysterious father was. Well, now we know; he’s a friggin’ planet.

Ego the Living Planet is exactly that, a sentient planet that hangs around galaxies attacking things, raging about Galactus and just generally being a dick.

Ego’s exact role in Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is still unclear, but it is likely he will be pivotal to the story. Being a large, billion-year-old god-like being that feeds on other life forms for survival, he is unlikely to just be a background character. That and the fact he is Peter Quill’s father are pretty strong indications.

James Gunn previously stated that he liked Ego as he was similar to Rocket: ‘Just like Rocket, [Ego] has problems connecting to other people because there’s nothing else like him’.

His sentiments, and the fact that Ego had a relationship with an Earth woman, seem to suggest his character might be quite complex.

How Ego the Living Planet will fit into Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is still a mystery. Will he be a villain or an ally? Given his history in the comics, our money is on a villain, but who knows at this point — Dr Strange’s arch-enemy, Baron Mordo, was an ally in his origin flick, so we can’t really jump to conclusions!

I’m sure this has all got you wondering though, how the hell did a planet get jiggy with some gal from Earth?

Well, I guess the creators of the movie decided a giant planet wasn’t exactly relatable as a character, so they cast mere mortal Kurt Russell to play his human form.

Ego is set to appear in Guardians of the Galaxy 2 as a walking, talking person. This appears to be a move that allows him to become involved in the story, instead of just passively floating around in the emptiness of space.

The use of Ego is definitely going to bring a new dynamic to this Guardian’s flick, giving it a much more sci-fi tone. We just hope the gamble pays off, not least because of the hassle it was to get him.

A story recently surfaced about how James Gunn wrote the Guardians of the Galaxy 2 movie, with Ego included as a major role, only to find Marvel didn’t own the rights to him. In fact, they were with Fox. With a little negotiating, Marvel managed to swap the rights for Ego, trading off that lovable goth Negasonic Teenage Warhead.

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 Puts a Focus on Family

Guardians of the Galaxy was an incredible movie — at least that’s the opinion of Two Honest Guys.

It had some stunning action beats and an immersive, fun adventure style plot. Basically Indiana Jones in space. One thing it lacked, however, was complexity.

The story had a very simple feel to it, following a linear format with nothing much in the way of twists or turns, except the appearance of Thanos. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes all you need is a good old-fashioned adventure, but sometimes you want something more.

The creators of Guardians of the Galaxy clearly decided that this outing would definitely deal with the idea of ‘more’ and have stated that the movie will follow a ‘very complex’ family style arc.

With Star Lord being the franchise lead, I’m sure you’ve already guess this family story is based around him and his father.

In Guardians of the Galaxy, it is revealed that Star Lord’s father is not of this world. His mother describes him as a ball of light and Yondu references him near the end of the movie. We also get a slightly more blatant hint at his parentage, when he is flat out told he is only part Human.

Confirmed to be Star Lord’s father, Kurt Russell spoke pretty candidly about the whole thing at the Toronto International Film Festival:

It’s a very complex story and they really get into it. This is going to be one of the more [complex stories] probably for Marvel, it’s more connected to human issues, family issues, parental issues and issues that sons and daughters have with their Moms and Dads and their family tree, where they come from. I just think it’s going to be an interesting. Peter’s character in this one, he’s got dilemmas and he’s got decisions to make that are not just about whether to save that thing or that person. This is about finding out who you are, where you come from, and where you’re going.

Kurt Russell’s words speak volumes about what will happen in Guardians of the Galaxy 2. The first one started to explore the depths of Star Lord’s character and inner-self, and this new movie is clearly going to bring plenty more of his personality to bare.

Furthering this notion, Gunn has also stated that: This is really about the relationship between [Star-Lord] and his father, who happens to be a living planet, and his other father, Yondu, who is an abusive jerk — It’s about the dysfunctional family triad that those three characters have. That’s the centre of the movie’.

I think we’ll see Peter Quill in a new way, a more vulnerable way in Guardians of the Galaxy 2. Family bring out the best in people, but they also open them up to new worlds of susceptibility.

At the beginning of Guardians of the Galaxy, Star Lord was a lone-wolf who cared for nobody, now he’s after Gamora, has a plethora of new friends and will undoubtedly be reunited with his father. Prepare for some world-class acting from Chris Pratt in this one!

Nebula is in Guardians of the Galaxy 2 And Things Have Changed

Karen Gillan went all out for her role as Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy. She even went so far as to shave her head, even though she could have easily donned a bald cap. Her dedication to the role was to be respected, but was also a bit strange. Nebula played a very small role in the events of Guardians of the Galaxy and quite frankly Gillan deserved more for chopping off those locks.

But she might be getting a better deal this time around.

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is already known to be centred around family bounds. While you may point towards Peter Quill and his father, Gamora and Nebula also have some family business to work out.

Let’s not beat around the bush, Nebula has been confirmed as a much bigger part in Guardians of the Galaxy 2.

Our source?

Well it’s an insider tip so we need to be a bit ‘hush hush’ but here’s what we’ve uncovered:

So Karen Gillan’s head shaving is definitely going to be worth it this time. But how does Nebula fit into this world as a major character?

We don’t have many details on how she’ll be involved yet, but what we do know is that it’ll have something to do with Gamora. Karen Gillan has expressly stated that she is excited’ about delving into the sisterly relationship between Gamora and Nebula’. In an interview, she confirmed her greater role in Guardians of the Galaxy 2, saying: ‘I think that we’re going to see a little bit more of that [her relationship with Gamora] and it’s going to be a bit more fleshed out’.

All this begs the question, will Nebula become a Guardian?

Speculation is rife amongst the Marvel community about what will happen in Guardians of the Galaxy 2. One little tidbit of information that has caused quite an uproar is this line from the synopsis released by the studio:

The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid as the Marvel cinematic universe continues to expand.

Notice the line, ‘old foes become allies’. Now this could mean a great many people, but Nebula is definitely on that list of potential new allies.

After all, Nebula will have a much bigger part in this movie and the emphasis on family might bring her closer to her sister Gamora. While both have a lot to fight about, they are at least united by their hatred of their adopted Father, Thanos. Potentially putting her in line to join the fabled Guardians.

Let’s break down what we know:

  • The Guardians are set to join the Avengers in Infinity War
  • Nebula is to have a larger part in this film
  • Family bonds will be an emphasis on this movie
  • Nebula wants nothing more than to destroy Thanos

Put these together and it makes for a pretty convincing Guardians of the Galaxy 2 theory that Nebula will join the gang. If she does, she’ll get her shot at Thanos in Infinity War. I can see her setting aside any differences for that opportunity.

The Guardians of the Galaxy 2 Villain Will Be The Formidable Ayesha

Guardians of the Galaxy gave us a lot to love, but its villain certainly wasn’t one of them. A cut and paste extremist, there was very little that defined the character of Ronan. However, Guardians of the Galaxy 2 looks set for something a bit more exciting.

Ayesha has been confirmed as the villain for Guardians 2. Known by other names in the comics, she is basically an incredibly powerful goddess-like creature, created by a group of scientists for the purpose of taking over the world. This choice of villain will have a major impact on Guardians 2.

First off, it means that while the film will focus on family and personal relationships, this will not be the biggest conflict of the movie. The threat that Ayesha poses will almost certainly be the cause of most of the Guardian’s misery. It seems that although we’ll get some deeper, more complex dramatic undertones in Guardians of the Galaxy 2, a good old superhero fight is on the cards.

It also means that Ego the Living Planet is not going to be the primary antagonist, unless he and Ayesha are working together — an entirely possible, but unlikely scenario.

Last of all, it implies that the Guardians will be heading for Earth. Ayesha was a creature created on Earth to enslave Earth. It is not guaranteed of course, Ayesha has capabilities well beyond leaving her home planet — she can fly and survive in the vacuum of space.

However, it is unlikely that Peter Quill could stay away from his home planet forever, especially if this movie is centred around his origins and family.

We may have this all wrong, of course. Director James Gunn has previously said that Ayesha is a “golden High Priestess of a genetically-perfect people called the Sovereign. She’s not a woman to be screwed with“.

This bill sorta fits with the character, but could also mean her backstory is vastly different. Why is she genetically perfect? Was she made or was she born? This could mean she has no ties with Earth at all, that her origins aren’t anything like the comics.

Or, it could further her story. In the comics her ultimate goal is to find a perfect mate and start a new and better species of beings. Maybe she has already accomplished this by the time Guardians of the Galaxy 2 begins.

Who knows? What we do know for sure is that Ayesha is the villain in Guardians 2, and that she is not to be screwed with.

Things Will Get Emotionally Deep For Rocket Racoon

I’ve always admired Rocket Racoon above the rest of the cast. Sure he’s a bit quirky, but he offers the Guardians of the Galaxy team a depth that it would seriously lack without him.

The rest of the characters, although great, are all a bit two-dimensional. They all exhibit traits and characteristics of seriously overdone stereotypes. It works in the context of the movie, but think about it.

  • Quil is the classic boyish maverick that could charm the watcher himself.
  • Gamora is a tough, no-nonsense, kick-ass female with a tragic backstory and the embodiment of feminism.
  • Groot is comic relief.
  • Drax is the socially awkward guy who doesn’t really know what is going on.

But Rocket, he isn’t like the rest of them. His character is deep. He’s an outlaw, but he’s been damaged. He’s a loner, but he is fiercely loyal to Groot and his comrades when he connects with them. He’s piled full of humour, but rage and emotion hide beneath.

For me, he’s just got a spark that the rest lack.

And in Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Rocket Racoon will get even more of a chance to shine.

James Gunn may be the name everyone knows from Guardians of the Galaxy, but his brother Sean Gunn had plenty involvement in the film too. Famously the one to stand in for Rocket Racoon during filming.

While discussing the movie, Sean Gunn got onto the subject of Rocket. He talked about how Rocket is facing a crisis of faith about whether or not he belongs in this [The Guardian’s] family.”

It seems like this diverse character might be struggling to mesh with his fellow Guardians. With the loss of his beloved Groot, and Baby Groot confirmed to be a new iteration of the character (see number 10 on this list) Rocket may simply be unable to adapt to life in his new world.

This little tidbit of info doesn’t give us much to go on, but it does at least promise plenty to look forward to in terms of Rocket Raccoon’s character progression.

If you love Rocket like I do, that can’t be a bad thing.

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 Won’t Feature Infinity Stones

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 represents a unique opportunity in the Marvel cinematic universe.

The last of the Infinity Stones has yet to be uncovered, with the other 5 all present and accounted for, and theories have circled saying it could appear in the next instalment of the franchise.

Most recently we saw the Time Gem in Doctor Strange, but we’ve also had the Mind Gem in Loki’s Staff and Visions head. We’ve also seen the Space Gem in the form of the Tesseract, we’ve seen the Reality Gem inside the Aether in Thor: The Dark World and of course, we were presented with the Power Gem in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie.

With Avengers Infinity War steaming towards us, and the very real possibility the last Infinity Stone will be revealed before the movie’s release, everyone has been wondering if it’ll pop up in the latest Guardians flick.

Well, we’re here to burst your bubble.

The last Infinity Stone is not in Guardians of the Galaxy 2.

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is billed as a character story, built around family. This doesn’t necessarily count out an infinity stone plot line, but it doesn’t really lend itself to one either.

But even if you could craft the perfect theory about how the last Infinity Stone, the Soul Gem, fits into the movie, James Gunn has unfortunately destroyed all your hopes and dreams. In a Q&A, he revealed the Infinity Stones won’t be appearing in Guardians 2:

We’re not really so much about the Infinity Stones in Guardians 2. Is that a spoiler? It’s not really a thing.

This statement was quite vague though, and it still didn’t stop the rumour mill from churning. Seemingly frustrated by people ignoring his comment, Gunn released another statement. This time, it was just a little bit more clear:

There will be no Infinity Stones in Vol. 2 There will be infinity nothing. It’s a story about the Guardians, and isn’t meant to lead to anything else”.

Alright, we get the point James. So, where is the last Infinity Stone?

There is speculation all over the web about where the last infinity stone is hiding. While we could spend all day listing them, we’re just going to share our favourite. This theory suggests that the locations spell out the name of the ruler of the gems, Thanos, in some sort of weird, fateful prediction from the universe.

  • T – Tesseract
  • H – ??
  • A – Aether
  • N – Necklace
  • O – Orb
  • S – Sceptre

The H is thought to then stand for Heimdall, the gatekeeper of Asgard. It’s a wild theory, but with Thor: Ragnarok approaching, it could all just make sense.

Guardians of the Galaxy 2’s Influence of Infinity War

There are currently two major storylines going on in the MCU.

The first is that of the Avengers and its members. This lot get to enjoy their own spin-off movies and occasionally come together to battle aliens or each other. The second is our beloved Guardians of the Galaxy series. Set far away from Earth, it is totally removed from the original Marvel franchise. But not for long…

So far details about Guardians appearing in Avengers: Infinity War have been tentative, but we’ve had enough teases and brain-farts to pretty much confirm that the deal is sealed.

Back on the promo trail for Captain America: Civil War, writer Christopher Markus said this on the topic of Infinity War: “…whether they’re a 12-foot purple guy, or a raccoon, or an android, they’re all people, and we’re going to write them as people. You can’t write them any other way. So, ideally it will stay grounded because you’ll completely understand why the characters are doing what they’re doing, and you will in some way or another empathise”.

I don’t know about you, but it would seem peculiar for him to mention a Rocket Racoon if he wasn’t in the movie. It is a throwaway line and it should be taken with a pinch of salt, I get that. However!

Vin Diesel, the voice behind Groot and Guardians of the Galaxy 2’s Baby Groot, also hinted at a part in Infinity War. Well, when I say hinted…

In a video posted to his Facebook page, Diesel stated: Now the Guardians will be included in Avengers: Infinity War and that’s incredibly exciting. You were told before everybody!”

That seems like pretty clear confirmation to me. It wouldn’t be the first time an actor ruined something he wasn’t supposed to. Lookin’ at you, Jiang Wen.

This leads us to another question: will Guardians of the Galaxy 2 setup Infinity War?

Two years ago now, news was doing the rounds that Guardians of the Galaxy 2 would have nothing to do with Avengers: Infinity War. Nothing since has surfaced about this sort of information, and we at Two Honest Guys are inclined to believe the stories; to a point.

It is more likely that upcoming movies like Thor: Ragnarok will invoke some sort of conflict that leads to Infinity War. After all, there are no Infinity Stones to be found in Guardians 2 and we assume the appearance of the final gem will kick off the events of the movie.

However, if the Guardians are to appear in Infinity War, it would be foolish to believe that we won’t at least get a nod to it. After all, it would be strange for them to appear out of nowhere.

We believe that the most likely scenario is that Peter Quill will return to Earth at some point in Guardians of the Galaxy 2 — possibly drawn by the threat of Ayesha. This may not set up the movie, but it will at least put all the pieces in place ready for the final movie of Marvel’s phase 3.

Whether or not he will have the Infinity Stone acquired in Guardians of the Galaxy, the Power Gem, on him is uncertain. He may well have it, although given it is now with the Nova Corps, and was offered up voluntarily, it is more likely to be stolen by Thanos than Quill.

Thanos Will Not Appear in Guardians of the Galaxy 2

Thanos was an ever-present, but rarely seen figure in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. We’d been teased his appearance in The Avengers, but we finally got a moving, talking embodiment of one of the most deadly foes in the Marvel universe.

While he wasn’t involved in much of the action in Guardians, he had a huge part to play in the plot of the movie, effectively putting everything that happened into motion, and also proving highly influential for both Gamora, Nebula and Drax.

However, the movie ended without any movement from our big purple friend. He was left sat in the background on his funky flying chair.

So: will Thanos be in Guardians of the Galaxy 2?

Despite playing such a heavy hand in the events of Guardians of the Galaxy, I’m afraid to say that we won’t be seeing Thanos in Guardians 2. He played his part brilliantly, but he was never the true villain of the franchise.

Guardians, after all, is about these rough, tough and gritty space thugs. A villain like Thanos would be far too much for them to handle and would certainly detract from the ground-level, personal feeling that emanates from a Guardians flick.

It’s not a like a big old epic Avengers or Thor movie, and that’s why we love it so much.

Thanos was a great imposing character to have kick off the tale of the Guardians, but he won’t be influencing their outing in Guardians of the Galaxy 2.

Director James Gunn has been pretty clear on that:

This then begs the question, why isn’t Thanos in Guardians of the Galaxy 2?

Given that he was such a big part in Guardians, it seems a bit strange not to see him back for Vol 2. But, as we already know, Guardians 2 will be a movie focusing on family and relationships, and won’t feature any infinity stones.

With both those reasons in mind, plus what I mentioned before about him being too powerful for the Guardian’s to face alone, it isn’t surprising that Thanos doesn’t fit into James Gunn’s next project.

Fans of Thanos fear not, however, as you’ll likely be seeing him in the upcoming Avengers movie, Infinity War.

A villain too powerful and impressive to leave alone for long, Thanos will undoubtedly be the bad guy to bring Marvel’s phase 3 to a close. In this movie he’ll probably end up finally meeting some of the Guardians, though this time backed by the likes of Ironman, Hulk, Thor and, of course, Hawkeye, as their fates finally intertwine with the main Marvel movie characters.

Baby Groot Has Lost His Memories

We were all begging and hoping it wasn’t true, but it seems to be that Baby Groot is not the Groot we hoped he would be.

We’ve actually written a separate article about this one, as we felt it was deserving of its own place amongst the THG archives. If you want to find out how we know Baby Groot won’t retain his memories, check out our Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Baby Groot blog here.

Still, this means Baby Groot will be a character in his own right. Groot was interesting, to a point, but he didn’t have much going for him other than being a powerful tree with a very limited vocabulary. Baby Groot being something new is likely to bring a new dynamic to Guardians of the Galaxy 2.

Despite the loss of our dearly beloved Groot, that’s got to be exciting, right?

Take all that in? Nah, me neither. If you want something a little less heavy, we’ve got loads more moving and gaming blogs.

The post Guardians of the Galaxy 2: 10 Things You Need to Know appeared first on Two Honest Guys.



This post first appeared on FinalBoss, please read the originial post: here

Share the post

Guardians of the Galaxy 2: 10 Things You Need to Know

×

Subscribe to Finalboss

Get updates delivered right to your inbox!

Thank you for your subscription

×