Dive into the creative world of James Gunn, the mastermind behind hits like Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad. Explore articles covering his latest projects, directorial insights, and impact on both the Marvel and DC universes. From his unique storytelling style to his influence on superhero cinema, discover everything about James Gunn’s career, movies, DCU, Superman, and future projects.
There's good news and bad news regarding Dave Bautista and Avengers vs X-Men. The bad news is that Dave Bautista joins Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn, as Bautista also shoots down hopes of a possible Avengers vs X-Men movie. The good news? At least Bautista wants it to happen. While at this weekend's Heroes & […]
Marvel TV recently announced a new Inhumans TV series, with the first two episodes screening in IMAX theaters. As Vin Diesel has teased playing Black Bolt on more than one occasion for the Marvel Studios Inhumans movie, will Vin Diesel be playing Black Bolt in the Inhumans TV series? That’s probably not going to
Expect a lot of humor from Dave Bautista’s Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy 2. Director James Gunn let it be known that Drax is the funniest character in Guardians of the Galaxy 2 when a fan asked about the funniest thing Dave Bautista has done on set. “Everything is funny,” Gunn said. “He’s the
James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy movie has one enigmatic Easter Egg left that, so far, no one has been able to find. There’s been all kinds of theories ranging from Beta Ray Bill to Quasar, to just about everything under the sun (and stars), but no one has been able to discover it. Now
Still hoping for that Avengers and X-Men crossover? Well, according to James Gunn — keep hoping. This past week saw the news become known that Marvel and Fox Studios came to a mutual deal which saw a trade for characters that were used in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and Fox’s Deadool. Obviously with
Earlier it became known that Fox Studios and Marvel Studios swapped characters to appear in Deadpool and Guardians of the Galaxy 2. The deal saw the Deadpool movie get to change the powers of Nega Sonic Teenage Warhead, and in return Marvel Studios got the use of Ego The Living Planet for Guardians of the
Right in time for Halloween watch the Guardians of the Galaxy 2 Weird trailer! Aldo Jones On YouTube put this together for Guardians of the Galaxy 2, who also is responsible for the weird trailer versions of Batman Vs. Superman and Justice League. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” has a May 5, 2017 release
Stan Lee has filmed four more cameos for Marvel movies, and now it’s learned they were directed by Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn. James Gunn confirmed the news of directing the Stan Lee Marvel cameos on Facebook, which looks to be for Doctor Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Spider-Man: Homecoming and Thor:
Guardians of the Galaxy 2 director James Gunn offers updates via his official Facebook page. Apparently as a result of Gunn posting a pic of himself with a prop from the previous Tron movie, some fans online thought that it meant James Gunn is directing Tron 3. Well, that’s not the case as Gunn offers
San Jose International Short Film Festival to Honor Filmmaker James Gunn with “The Visionary Award” Gunn will also select the winner of the Inaugural “James Gunn Independent Filmmaker Award” In recognition of his contributions to both independent and blockbuster films, the San Jose International Short Film Festival (SJSFF) will honor renowned filmmaker James Gunn
A recent batch of Guardians of the Galaxy 2 rumors that hit the net have been shot down by director James Gunn. Gunn took to Twitter to offer the Guardians of the Galaxy 2 rumors are “nonsense.” Where do you guys get this nonsense? Who are all the people running around giving fake inside scoops
It’s learned James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy 2 Marvel movie almost had a dick joke involving Kurt Russell and Dave Bautista. GQ Magazine’s October 2016 issue features an interview with Kurt Russell, who plays Ego the Living Planet, the father to Star-Lord, in the sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy. This past Summer at Comic-Con saw
Update: James Gunn shot the Quasar theory (and an Eternity theory) down on Twitter. Could Quasar be James Gunn’s mystery Guardians of the Galaxy Easter Egg? Gunn has been telling fans since the release of the Guardians of the Galaxy movie that they have missed a big Easter Egg. While I think Gunn has
A few days ago saw Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler mention he wants to be in Guardians of the Galaxy 3. Tyler actually has a connection to James Gunn as his daughter, Liv Tyler, was featured in Gunn’s 2010 Super. Now Gunn comments on Facebook. “Yes, I did hear that Steven Tyler wants to be in Guardians
Rock star leader singer of Aerosmith, Steven Tyler, says he wants to be in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy 3. “I hope [audiences] enjoy [my latest movie Happy Birthday]. I know I did! It made me want to do more movies for sure, I would do anything to be in Guardians of the Galaxy 3 – are you
James Gunn has taken to his Facebook page to offer answers to frequently asked questions about Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and other topics. Regarding Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Gunn offers a slight spoiler regarding Baby Groot; Gunn also talks about Thanos being in the movie (or not) and about the Guardians appearing in Avengers:
James, when is the Guardians of the Galaxy 2 trailer coming out?! James, why aren’t you working on the Guardians of the Galaxy 2 trailer?! James, when is Nova getting introduced in the MCU? James!! James Gunn took to Facebook to offer his dislike to the trolls that have been bothering him about the Guardians
Following James Gunn revealing details and the name of the alien creature from the recent Guardians of the Galaxy 2 concept art, Gunn also went over the characters in the movie.
Gunn offered the following about what we know in Guardians of the Galaxy 2 in the below video from Facebook.
• “We know Baby Groot is in the movie; that he is not an adult.”
• “We know the movie takes place two months after the first movie ends.”
• “We know that Ego is the father of Peter Quill; that he is an ancient being; played by Kurt Russell.”
• “We know that Mantis [Pom Klementieff] is in the movie.”
• “We know Yondu [Michael Rooker] and Nebula [Karen Gillan] have more important roles in the film.”
• “We know that Sylvester Stallone is playing someone in the film. We don’t know who.”
• “Those are kind of the things we know that are out there now. As time goes on, we’ll let you know a little bit more.”
It’s also been revealed:
Elizabeth Debicki is playing Ayesha.
Glenn Close returns as Nova Prime.
Benicio del Toro returns as The Collector.
Chris Sullivan plays Taserface.
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” has a May 5, 2017 release starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Michael Rooker and Sean Gunn. New cast members include Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan and Kurt Russell.
Synopsis:
Set to the all-new sonic backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” continues the team’s adventures as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill’s true parentage.
A few days ago saw new digital art released for Guardians of the Galaxy 2 by artist Andy Park.
The art features the Guardians battling it out with some sort of alien space creature.
James Gunn was asked about the creature during a Facebook Live event and offered details.
“What is the name of the alien monster in the promo art? That’s an Abilisk. A multi-dimensional being. The Guardians have been hired to fight him,” Gunn said.
Mention of the creature being multi-dimensional is rather interesting as Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson also mentioned dimensions noting that Doctor Strange was the start of the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse and teased “other-dimensional psychotropic violence” for the film. It’s also been confirmed that Dormammu, another extra-dimensional being, will be in Doctor Strange.
Fans of the Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning Guardians of the Galaxy 2008 comic book series should also recollect that the Guardians battled extra-dimensional creatures from The Fault and the Cancerverse, which came to a head in Ream of Kings and the highly fan-favorite and critical hit The Thanos Imperative.
It would be pretty cool if Marvel’s Phase 3 films with Doctor Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War led to Marvel’s Phase 4 with The Avengers 4 battling some of those extra-dimensional beings — or even alternate versions of themselves.
Ant-Man even featured a different dimension of sorts with the Quantum Realm.
Check out Gunn’s Facebook Live post below.
Guardians of the Galaxy 2 digital concept art of the Guardians battling the alien monster:
Comic book art from DnA’s Stellar Marvel COSMIC run:
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” has a May 5, 2017 release starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Michael Rooker and Sean Gunn. New cast members include Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan and Kurt Russell.
Synopsis:
Set to the all-new sonic backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” continues the team’s adventures as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill’s true parentage.
James Gunn video:
Yesterday saw a rumor hit the net stating that Zendaya is actually playing Mary Jane Watson in Spider-Man: Homecoming, which has caused a lot of uproar.
Personally, I’m from the school of thought that they should just create new characters instead of replacing already existing characters, and that goes for all characters of color and creed. For instance, I wouldn’t want a white, chinese or latino Luke Cage or Black Panther or John Stewart, and I wouldn’t want a male Catwoman or Harley Quinn.
However, right now it’s “cool” to be PC, and if you disagree, you’ll be labeled a misogynist, a Trump supporter, bigot, racist etc. You’ll also see the studio (or whoever) state, “well, ahem, we just went with the best person for the job,” which is a laughable statement.
Likewise, you’ll also be told to get a life if you happen to care that a character’s core is changed so much. You’ll be called names and belittled for caring about a fictional character, a character that you shell our your hard earned cash for, a character that makes these guys millions and billions of dollars, a character that some people have made or do make their living from, and a character that may have impacted your personal life.
Regarding Mary Jane, I always thought she was a rather unique character. She’s a red head, which only makes up 2% of the population. I felt Peter Parker was darn lucky to have a girlfriend like that.
Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn took to his social networks to voice his thoughts, like he often likes to do, on the fan reaction to Zendaya potentially playing Mary Jane (Gunn says he doesn’t know who she is playing). Gunn took to Twitter to state that if your are a complainer, you basically need to get a life as well. Gunn then expanded upon his thoughts on Facebook stating that if the color of Mary Jane’s hair is the major attribute of the character, then that character is “shallow and sucks.” You can read Gunn’s full thoughts below.
“Spider-Man: Homecoming” has a July 7, 2017 release directed by Jon Watts starring Tom Holland, Zendaya, Michael Keaton, Donald Glover, Jacob Batalon, Laura Harrier, Tony Revolori, Tyne Daly, Bokeem Woodbine, with Marisa Tomei, and Robert Downey Jr.
Synopsis:
A young Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), who made his sensational debut in Marvel Studios’ “Captain: Civil War,” begins to navigate his newfound identity as the web-slinging superhero in “Spider-Man: Homecoming.”
Via Facebook:
People get upset when something they consider intrinsic to a comic book character changes when adapted for a film. I get this. There are movies I dislike because I think there’s a basic misunderstanding of the story or the character when the comic is transferred to film (I still hate how in the first Batman movie the Joker was revealed as the murderer of Bruce Wayne’s parents, for instance.)
That said, I do not believe a character is the color of his or her skin. When Michael B Jordan was cast as Johnny Storm I didn’t understand the uproar. The primary characteristic of Johnny was not, to me, that he was white, or that he had blonde hair, but that he was a fiery, funny, big-mouthed braggart of a hero. I was happy that he was going to be played by one of the finest and most charming young actors out there.
Yesterday, a rumor broke out that the character of Mary Jane was being played by a young black woman, Zendaya, and all hell broke out on the Internet (again). I tweeted that if people find themselves complaining about Mary Jane’s ethnicity they have lives that are too good. (For those of you who think this means I’m confirming that Zendaya IS playing MJ, realize that although I’ve read the Spidey script, and I’ve met the actress in question, I have no idea what her role is. There’s a good chance someone told me at one time or another, but, if so, I can’t remember. I’m going to find out when I go into Marvel this afternoon, but I feel free to speak until that time because it’s about the concept about a black woman playing Mary Jane, not the actuality or hypothesis of it.)
I got a thousand or so responses to my tweet. Most of them were positive. Some folks disagreed – they thought the character should look like what she looks like in the comics – but were thoughtful. And a handful were flat out racist.
I can’t respond to the racists – I’m not ever going to change their minds. But for the thoughtful majority of you out there:
For me, if a character’s primary attribute – the thing that makes them iconic – is the color of their skin, or their hair color, frankly, that character is shallow and sucks. For me, what makes MJ MJ is her alpha female playfulness, and if the actress captures that, then she’ll work. And, for the record, I think Zendaya even matches what I think of as MJ’s primary physical characteristics – she’s a tall, thin model – much more so than actresses have in the past.
Whatever the case, if we’re going to continue to make movies based on the almost all white heroes and supporting characters from the comics of the last century, we’re going to have to get used to them being more reflective of our diverse present world. Perhaps we can be open to the idea that, although someone may not initially match how we personally conceive a character, we can be – and often are – happily surprised.
Guardians of the Galaxy 2 director James Gunn reveals he was offered to direct DC movies, though exactly when is unclear.
Gunn recently participated in a Facebook Q&A where he mentioned his favorite DC characters he would like to direct.
“I thought there was some amazing action sequences in Man of Steel, but I haven’t seen the other two films [Batman Vs Superman and Suicide Squad]. I’ve had opportunities to make DC films, but I haven’t said yes to anything, and not sure I would at this time,” Gunn said. “I’ve talked before about which projects appeal to me the most IF I was into making one, and it’s always Shazam and Metal Men and Swamp Thing and [Jonah] Hex and a few other DC IPs I’ve enjoyed for a great deal of my life.”
Gunn also let it be known that the Cassandra Cain version of Batgirl is one of his favorite female superheroes, and he talked about the fact that Suicide Squad topped his 2014 Guardians of the Galaxy movie at the August box office.
“It beat us first weekend,” Gunn said. “We almost made more money second weekend. And there is a very likely chance we’ll make more money at the end of the day (we made more domestically than BvS even). The great thing about Guardians wasn’t that it came in and made a ton of money but that so many people went and told their friends about the movie, who went to see it, and that people kept coming back again and again. By the time we were in the later weeks, we were making more money than any comic book film EVER, which was such an amazing feeling for those of us who put our hearts into it.”
Regarding the DC movies, Dwayne Johnson is attached to the Shazam movie as both a producer and the villain Black Adam; Justice League Dark (Swamp Thing) looks to have been axed in favor of an animated movie; Jonah Hex did just appear on DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow last season, and a Metal Men movie was said to be in the works a few years ago directed by Barry Sonnefeld, which looks to have never gotten off the ground floor or is still waiting for the full green light.
James Gunn also said Guardians of the Galaxy 3 will probably get made, but he’s unsure if he will return to direct the third movie.
(via den of geek/collider)
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” has a May 5, 2017 release starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Michael Rooker and Sean Gunn. New cast members include Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan and Kurt Russell.
Synopsis:
Set to the all-new sonic backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” continues the team’s adventures as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill’s true parentage.
Following Twilight‘s Kellan Lutz having revealed he took a meeeting for the live action Masters of the Universe He-Man movie, earlier today saw the director on the project, McG, taking questions about the film while at FOX’s Television Critics Association.
McG stated He-Man hasn’t been cast, but offered Kellan Lutz is in the running.
We haven’t cast the role yet, but I like Kellan very much. Obviously, we need a talented entertainer, but we also need a certain physicality, which he embodies. He’ll be considered very, very closely. We haven’t gotten to the casting process yet. Kellan’s a good guy, and we had a great meeting, and he’s passionate about He-Man, he’s passionate about the Adam story. He really knows a lot about it. I was charmed by his focus and intensity. He’ll be considered very, very carefully. We’re just not there yet. We’ve got to get the movie on its feet, then we’ll cast the movie.
McG also talked about casting Skeletor and confirmed the He-Man bad guy to heavyweight villains such as Star Wars‘ Darth Vader and Die Hard‘s Hans Gruber (which means they are taking a serious take on the characters and He-Man movie).
As Skeletor? I think the characters are bigger than any given actor. I think the right actor is going to be what’s most important. I’m not really hung up on, “Oh, it’s got to be a star.” I just want someone who’s right for it. I enjoy working with big movie stars. I enjoy working with discoveries. We’re going to do what’s right, so it embodies the energy. Skeletor needs to be an incredible menace. I really think — again — I mean it when I say Vader, Gruber, Skeletor.
McG confirmed Battle Cat and Evil Lyn for He-Man and offered an update where they are with the movie.
We have a big meeting with Sony regarding prep of the movie on Wednesday. And we’re in the middle of a bit of a script polish, and it’s my absolute passion. I’m laser-focused on that being my next film.
McG also said they are inspired by and are trying to emulate what Kevin Feige did with Marvel; what James Gunn did with the Guardians of the Galxy movie, and what Margot Robbie did with Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad.
“I want to make sure our Evil-Lyn is the standard bearer. That’s a tall order, isn’t it?” McG said referencing both Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn and Cara Delevingne’s Enchantress.
(via IGN)
If you are one of those spoiler-complainers, you may want to avoid the following which sheds light on the plot of Guardians of the Galaxy 2.
James Gunn has cast Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha in Guardians of the Galaxy 2, which Marvel Cosmic fans may know of in the comics as Adam Warlock’s better half, Her, or Quasar fans may recognize Ayesha as Kismet. Following Kismet, she renamed herself as Ayesha in the pages of Fanastic Four.
With the history lesson over, Comic-Con saw Elizabeth Debicki reveal some plot details for Guardians of the Galaxy 2, as she told io9 the following:
“Ayesha is this leader of the Sovereign people,” explained Debicki. “She enlists the Guardians to help her fight a sort of galactical beast. They’re this sort of ragtag bunch of people but they happen to be very good at getting rid of things and cleaning up the universe, in a way. So she enlists them and it’s all going swimmingly until it all turns very very sour. Let’s just say it goes from amiable to not-so-amiable quite quickly.”
“The wonderful thing about James and the writing in the film is that every character has a really great arc,” she said. “And that’s why I really wanted to play her because she finishes in a very different place than where we first see her. She shifts a lot. How she looks kind of shifts, and I don’t want to give anything away.”
Worth a mention is that Debicki states the look of Ayesha shifts in Guardians of the Galaxy 2, meaning changes. As previously noted, Ayesha went through different names, so maybe Gunn will show Ayesha as her first incarnation of Her.
It’s also possible that Gunn could be going a different route with Ayesha in Guardians of the Galaxy 2, and she’s actually Starhawk. In the comics, Starhawk is at times both a male and a female as the character shifts timelines.
It’s also been rumored the original members of the Guardians of the Galaxy (from the 1969 comics) are appearing in the film, so including Starhawk would definitely fit. Another possibility with the use of Ayesha would be the obvious introduction of Adam Warlock in Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (especially with the oncoming Infinity War).
The Guardians of the Galaxy 2 Comic-Con footage also showed Rocket Raccoon making fun of Ayesha’s people, so that may play into the plot as well, and the footage also seems to set up Taserface as having a rather large role.
Further plot details include that Ego the Living Planet is Star-Lord’s father.
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” has a May 5, 2017 release starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Michael Rooker and Sean Gunn. New cast members include Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan and Kurt Russell.
Synopsis:
Set to the all-new sonic backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” continues the team’s adventures as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill’s true parentage.
Warning: Spoilers(?) follow.
This past weekend’s Comic-Con saw the big reveal that Kurt Russell is playing Ego the Living Planet, the father of Star-Lord.
Apparently some fans are upset that James Gunn and Marvel announced the news as they consider it a big spoiler.
Now James Gunn has taken to Facebook to explain why they announced the news, and also why the revelation is not that big of a spoiler.
For comparison, the Guardians of the Galaxy 2 story is not like Empire Strikes Back with Darth Vader telling Luke Skywalker, “I am your father,” it’s that – per Gunn’s words below – “Ego [is] the emotional center” of the film. Gunn previously said in a video posted to Facebook that Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is more about family, how Ego felt lonely, etc.
Gunn also says that Kurt Russell/Ego is a big part of the movie, so it would be near impossible to not reveal the role.
Personally, I don’t mind the reveal because now we don’t have to focus on who exactly Star-Lord’s father is, but other questions surrounding the character: How did Ego achieve human form? Why did Ego achieve human form? How will Star-Lord (and the rest of the Guardians) react to the news? Is Ego even a good guy? Does Ego have powers (in human form)? Could someone or something be after Ego because of something he did as the Livng Planet, and now that he is in human form, he’s more vulnerable? Does Ego even have a planet form?
You can read what Gunn had to say below.
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” has a May 5, 2017 release starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Michael Rooker and Sean Gunn. New cast members include Pom Klementieff as Mantis, Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha, Chris Sullivan as Taserface and Kurt Russell as Ego the Living Planet.
Synopsis:
Set to the all-new sonic backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” continues the team’s adventures as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill’s true parentage.
Via Facebook:
WHY THE IDENTITY OF STAR-LORD’S FATHER ISN’T A SPOILER.
Don’t read any further if you don’t want to know who he is.
Also you might want to stay off the internet until May and definitely unfollow me and don’t watch our trailers or other ads…
Anyway, people have been particularly excited, confused, and supportive of keeping Marvel Cosmic truly cosmic with the reveal of Peter Quill’s father’s identity. However, there have been a minority of folks who have questioned, and even been angry, that I and Marvel would reveal something so major months before the film comes out.
I get it. If we lived in a perfect world, I wouldn’t tell you ANYTHING before you walked in to see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. I wouldn’t tell you Groot was now Baby Groot, I wouldn’t tell you Mantis was in the movie, I wouldn’t say that Ayesha and Taserface are our antagonists, that Yondu and Nebula have incredibly important roles in the film, nor would I tell you that Quill’s father is Ego the Living Planet.
However, the world is imperfect.
Firstly, we have to advertise our film. And it will be impossible to show you very much of Vol. 2 since Ego is very much a part of all of it. We just don’t have a way around it.
Secondly, there are journalists online who love giving you scoops about characters and plot twists in upcoming films. Ego is such a big part of the movie, this was going to come out soon, as much as we’ve tried to hide it (when our online press day happened on set, Kurt Russell sat in a chair that read “J’son,” and all of our script pages and artwork featuring him used the same name). Frankly, I would rather be in control of the announcement myself than have it come out on SpoilersRUs.com in a few weeks.
That said, knowing who Quill’s father is will not diminish your enjoyment of the film in any way. The story is not built to be a shocking twist in the same way Luke’s father was Darth, Soylent Green was people, Rosebud was a sled, or that that pretty woman from Crying Game had a penis (I guess I should have said spoilers before all that). Ego the emotional center of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 from the beginning to the end, and is not a twist.
And believe me – there are many, many more surprises we still have in store for you from Vol. 2 – hopefully the biggest of which is how much you’ll love the movie itself. Because, to me, that’s the only twist that matters.
james
The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 panel at Comic-Con saw The Ravagers take stage and harass James Gunn and the cast of the movie (watch the video here).
Now Gunn has taken to Instagram to reveal the names of The Ravagers.
“Ravagers R Us, starting at the top left, around in a circle: Brahl, Oblo, Scrote, Narblik, Gef the Ravager, Kraglin, Wretch, Half-Nut, Taserface,” Gunn posted.
Gunn also discussed the Ravagers on Facebook and named the actors.
“Thank you,” Gunn responded to a fan mentioning that the Ravagers coming up on stage at Comic-Con was pure genius. “That was a lot of fun to have those guys. It was kind of like a wrestling match at the beginning with the Ravagers coming up and heckling us,” Gunn laughed. “We had a lot of new roles revealed. We had Steven Blackheart as Brahl. Of course everyone knows my brother Sean Gunn plays Kraglin and is an important part. We had Chris Sullivan as Taserface. We had Evan Jones as Wretch. Jimmy Urine as Half-Nut. Joe Fria, who you might recognize from a PG Porn episode, who plays Oblo. So really all those guys that are Ravagers are all my good friends, and it was a great way to have those guys on set with me all the time hanging out. We had a great time shooting those scenes, and they’re great in the movie. Steve Agee as Gef the Ravager is particularly hilarious. We had a great time doing that.”
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” has a May 5, 2017 release starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Michael Rooker and Sean Gunn. New cast members include Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan and Kurt Russell.
VERY happy to announce my character in @Guardians. Meet TASERFACE! @Comic_Con Thanks @JamesGunn! #comiccon pic.twitter.com/ccD93aS8tM
— Chris Sullivan (@SullivanTweet) July 24, 2016
#ComicCon #Taserface @Guardians @seangunn @steveagee @jimmyurine pic.twitter.com/m2EXP3ZMzJ
— Chris Sullivan (@SullivanTweet) July 24, 2016
Check out the cast of Guardians of the Galaxy 2 getting introduced at Comic-Con, but not before The Ravagers have their say.
Marvel Studios president and producer Kevin Feige and director James Gunn introduce the cast, which is followed up by Michael Rooker as Yondu.
If you listen close enough, you’ll hear the Ravagers echo sentiments from fans that they didn’t lke about the movie such as making fun of Star-Lord dancing at the end or the fact that Mantis isn’t green in the sequel.
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” has a May 5, 2017 release starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Michael Rooker and Sean Gunn. New cast members include Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan and Kurt Russell.
Not sure where James Gunn is going with this one, but at least he isn’t following the crap Bendis did.
Saturday at Comic-Con saw James Gunn reveal that Kurt Russell is indeed playing the father to Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy 2 — but Kurt Russell is not playing Jason of Spartax — Russell is playing Ego (as in The Living Planet).
I’ve been traversing the internet and saw a bit of fan outrage on the matter as it differs a lot from the comics, but guess what? So did the first movie. I’ve pretty much come to accept that what Gunn is doing is not an adaptation at all of the Abnett and Lanning’s 2008 Guardians of the Galaxy or any of the Marvel comics.
That said, Gunn did offer a bit about Ego at the SDCC:
This is the biggie, I guess. And, yes, as many people guessed, or assumed, Kurt Russell is playing Peter Quill’s father. And Peter Quill’s father is (as almost no one has guessed)…
EGO.
Known in the comics as Ego the Living Planet.
Yeah, his dad is a planet. Sort of. It will all be explained in the film..
But to me, this is the absolute center of Vol. 2, and one of the reasons I’ve been so excited about it. When Marvel first approached me with the first movie, I thought, “Wait a second? A talking raccoon? Isn’t that a rather ridiculous idea to base a movie around?”
It was then that I took a step back and asked myself: Okay, if a raccoon could talk, and shoot a machine gun, how could that be? And answering that question ended up being the entire foundation of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1. There was a sadness in the answer. Rocket was an animal experimented upon, torn apart and put back together, without compassion. He was the only being of his type, had never known any hint of kindness, and was utterly and completely alone until he met his fellow Guardians. And, one of them in particular – Groot – thought it was worth sacrificing his life for his sake. This melancholy and beautiful undercurrent helped to ground the character for me. He had far more in common with Frankenstein’s monster than he did Bugs Bunny. And I related to him, greatly, and I hoped other folks who felt like outsiders would as well.
Ego seemed, in many ways, like an even more ridiculous character. But I asked myself, if a planet was alive, how could that be? And how could it father a child?
The answers to those questions took me to a far deeper place that I expected. I don’t want to give away too many answers at this time. But what Nova Prime said about Peter’s father at the end of Vol. 1 is certainly true – he is something ancient and unknown. And, as we will discover, being a cosmic being, alone for eons, is perhaps even more lonely than being the universe’s sole talking raccoon.
I can’t wait for you guys to see Kurt Russell bring this character to life onscreen. It has been a rapturous experience creating Ego with him. We have both pushed ourselves as far as we can go in making him real, and grounded, and emotionally centered.
We can speculate based on what Gunn had to say that at some point, the actual Ego The Living Planet decided to take human form and met Star-Lord’s mother, and the two had a relationship, which is how we got Peter Quill. It’s also possible at some point we may see the actual comic version of Ego, which would be a hoot on screen.
Marvel also revealed video of Kurt Russell’s Ego costume from the movie at Comic-Con:
Check it: The Ego costume, played by Kurt Russell in @Guardians! #gotgvol2 #MarvelSDCC pic.twitter.com/PYSYDqlOad
— Ryan Penagos (@AgentM) July 24, 2016
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” has a May 5, 2017 release starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Michael Rooker and Sean Gunn. New cast members include Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan and Kurt Russell.
The cast of Guardians of the Galaxy 2 appeared at Comic-Con.
James Gunn took to Facebook to offer specific details (spoiler warning) about went down, which saw Michael Rooker appear as the classic-looking comic book version of Yondu with the fin.
New concept art (above) and a logo was also released.
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” has a May 5, 2017 release starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Michael Rooker and Sean Gunn. New cast members include Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan and Kurt Russell.
Details:
Whoa! So we just got off stage at the San Diego Comicon showing not one, but THREE Guardians clips: 1) A piece from the film featuring Yondu, Rocket, baby Groot, and the Ravagers, 2) A behind-the-scenes featurette of me and the cast working on the forthcoming Guardians attraction at Disneyland, and 3) A special glimpse at a montage of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
I thought I’d share with you guys what we shared with everyone there.
If you don’t want minor spoilers from the film, don’t continue to read. I won’t hold it against you, I swear.
Here are the headlines –
THE RAVAGERS ARE A BIG PART OF VOL. 2
Most were on hand for the SDCC presentation, disrupting the proceedings as Ravagers are prone to do. We learn that they’ve had a somewhat contentious, even mutinous, relationship with Yondu since Vol. 1, due to the fact that Yondu let Peter Quill go without reprisal after not giving them the orb.
The leader in all of these shenanigans is the incredibly-powerful yet incredibly ridiculously-named TASERFACE, played by Chris Sullivan (it’s worth noting that four years ago when I was hired for the first Guardians film, I joked that I was going to make Taserface my villain. I suppose it’s no longer a joke).
Joining Chris in full Ravager regalia, was, of course, Sean Gunn as Kraglin, as well as these new Ravagers, all featured in the film:
Wretch, played by Evan Jones
Half-Nut, played by Jimmy Urine
Brahl, played by Stephen Blackehart
Gef the Ravager, played by Steve Agee
Oblo, played by Joe Fria
Narblik, play by Terence Rosemore
MICHAEL ROOKER SHOWED UP IN FULL YONDU MODE
With a big-ass fin on his head. ‘Nuff said.
NEBULA IS A MAJOR PART OF THE FILM
As Karen Gillan knows – because I told her during my first meeting with her – GotG Vol. 1 was just a glimpse at a character I had major plans for in the future of the Guardians-verse. I did not lie.
ELIZABETH DEBICKI PLAYS AYESHA
Ayesha is the golden High Priestess of a genetically-perfect people called the Sovereign. She’s not a woman to be screwed with – she, and her entire world, are extraordinarily deadly.
WE CAUGHT A FIRST LOOK AT MANTIS
Our look for Mantis is similar to her original look in the comics – she’s the same color as Pom Klementieff, the actress who plays her (i.e not green), and she has antennae. We saw just a tiny little glimpse of her in the Comic-Con footage. More will be coming. She’s been one of my favorite parts of making this film.
YES, SYLVESTER STALLONE IS IN THE FILM
This was an amazing experience for me, considering I ran around in my backyard as a kid pretending I was Johnny Rambo. Working with Sly was one of the high points of shooting Vol. 2 for me.
Who does he play? Well, I can’t reveal that quite yet… but we do see him interacting with Yondu in the teaser.
TWO SONGS PLAYED IN THE FOOTAGE
“Come a Little Bit Closer,” by Jay and the Americans, played dng the clip where Yondu faces off against some of the Ravagers.uri
“The Chain,” by Fleetwood Mac was the song used in the montage.
Am I saying these songs are part of Awesome Mix Vol. 2? Not necessarily. But they are great tunes…
A NEW DISNEYLAND GOTG ATTRACTION IS COMING
I’m a huge Disneyland fan and the Tower of Terror is my second favorite attraction there (Space Mountain is number one). So when the folks approached me, asking me to be involved with a new Guardians attraction, I was apprehensive.
But then the Walt Disney Imagineering folks showed me what they had in mind and MY MIND WAS COMPLETELY BLOWN. It was awesome (see the attached concept art for a very small taste). Exhilarating and novel and interactive. I can’t be more pleased to have partnered up with Walt Disney Imagineering in this production, helping to direct and shape the experience so that it has all the heart and fun and humor Guardians movies do.
Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, and I, along with a few other members of the Guardians cast, put our full effort into making it as great as we knew it could be. We shot most of it while we were in Atlanta shooting Vol. 2, and I can’t wait for you guys to see it and experience it firsthand the next time you visit the park.
WE DISCLOSED THE IDENTITY OF PETER QUILL’S FATHER
This is the biggie, I guess. And, yes, as many people guessed, or assumed, Kurt Russell is playing Peter Quill’s father. And Peter Quill’s father is (as almost no one has guessed)…
EGO.
Known in the comics as Ego the Living Planet.
Yeah, his dad is a planet. Sort of. It will all be explained in the film..
But to me, this is the absolute center of Vol. 2, and one of the reasons I’ve been so excited about it. When Marvel first approached me with the first movie, I thought, “Wait a second? A talking raccoon? Isn’t that a rather ridiculous idea to base a movie around?”
It was then that I took a step back and asked myself: Okay, if a raccoon could talk, and shoot a machine gun, how could that be? And answering that question ended up being the entire foundation of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1. There was a sadness in the answer. Rocket was an animal experimented upon, torn apart and put back together, without compassion. He was the only being of his type, had never known any hint of kindness, and was utterly and completely alone until he met his fellow Guardians. And, one of them in particular – Groot – thought it was worth sacrificing his life for his sake. This melancholy and beautiful undercurrent helped to ground the character for me. He had far more in common with Frankenstein’s monster than he did Bugs Bunny. And I related to him, greatly, and I hoped other folks who felt like outsiders would as well.
Ego seemed, in many ways, like an even more ridiculous character. But I asked myself, if a planet was alive, how could that be? And how could it father a child?
The answers to those questions took me to a far deeper place that I expected. I don’t want to give away too many answers at this time. But what Nova Prime said about Peter’s father at the end of Vol. 1 is certainly true – he is something ancient and unknown. And, as we will discover, being a cosmic being, alone for eons, is perhaps even more lonely than being the universe’s sole talking raccoon.
I can’t wait for you guys to see Kurt Russell bring this character to life onscreen. It has been a rapturous experience creating Ego with him. We have both pushed ourselves as far as we can go in making him real, and grounded, and emotionally centered.
I also can’t wait for all of you to see this movie. I really, really love it. Never has anything I’ve done flowed as smoothly as this project, and been so true and consistent from the first day I started writing it until today, as we edit it and create our visual effects.
And, worry not. Although you’ve learned a lot today, we have countless more surprises for you as we get closer to our release date. And even more of them in the movie itself.
Stay tuned to this page for more updates as we approach May 5, 2017 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2!
Thanks!
James
Ahead of next week’s Comic-Con, Marvel Studios and James Gunn have revealed a piece of Guardians of the Galaxy 2 concept art by artist Andy Park.
The image features members of the Guardians of the Galaxy including a first look at Mantis, played by Pom Klementieff. We also see the return of Groot, though per the image apparently as a sprung (i.e. baby Groot).
James Gunn also offered on Facebook that it remains to be seen whether or not Karen Gillan’s Nebula is a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, but did confirm Michael Rooker’s Yondu has joined the squad.
“Yondu for sure. With Nebula, well, you never know what’s up with that one,” Gunn said.
Guardians of the Galxy 2 executive producer Jonathan Schwartz also offered the following to EW.com about Mantis and Groot:
“She has never really experienced social interaction,” Schwartz aid. “Everything she learns about dealing with people, she learns from the Guardians of the Galaxy, which is a very weird group to learn your social intricacies from.
“He doesn’t have the wisdom and experience of that Groot,” Schwartz said. “He’s a younger Groot and a more rambunctious Groot. The question is, is he the same Groot, just smaller? Or is he a different Groot that’s sprung up from the seed of the first Groot?”
James Gunn and the cast of the Guardians of the Galaxy 2 will also be at Comic-Con, with a teaser being released exclusive to the SDCC.
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” has a May 5, 2017 release starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Michael Rooker and Sean Gunn. New cast members include Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan and Kurt Russell.
As loyal readers of Cosmic Book News know, the site was founded as a result of Annihilation, the 2007 Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning Nova and 2008 Guardians of the Galaxy Marvel Cosmic comic books.
We’ve actually been bigger fans of Nova (and Quasar) than Guardians of the Galaxy as at the time the site was founded, a lot of the Richard Rider Nova fans jumped on board to pitch in. We’ve eventually evolved to where we cover a lot of other topics, but at our core we remain faithful to DnA cosmic.
So of course with Marvel Studios going with two Guardians of the Galaxy movies, we remain hopeful that eventually we’ll see Richard Rider on the big screen as well. Nova fans have already launched a petition to get Richard Rider in the MCU, and a Nova movie is also rumored for Marvel’s Phase 4 plans.
On top of that I regularly bug James Gunn about including Richard Rider Nova in the movies.
Gunn previously said the chance of a Nova movie is always possible, but for Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Gunn calls out yours truly on Facebook and says not right now.
“I know you want Nova, Matt McGloin,” James Gunn said. “You go on here every time and say that you want Nova. You know, there are a lot of other characters out there… and I know you do. It’s become quite apparent that you are very excited about Nova and that’s what you want, but that’s not happening right at this moment.”
Maybe one day, James?
Watch the video below for more.
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” has a May 5, 2017 release starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Michael Rooker and Sean Gunn. New cast members include Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan and Kurt Russell.
