As Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe shifts to a new release timeline, a long 16-month gap has been created between the last MCU movie, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and the next in-line Black Widow. Because of this, many MCU fans are trying to find ways to cope with the long wait and their self-isolating situation. One of the great things about the MCU is that it does have so many movies to revisit during this current pandemic. Just recently, reaction videos during the opening night of Avengers Endgame went viral which made fans nostalgic about the theater-going experience and the MCU in general.
Moreover, one of the trending online movements right now is Comicbook's Quarantine Watch Party in which fans watch a particular movie together while sharing their reaction towards different scenes on Twitter. There have already been Watch Parties for several MCU films such as Ant Man, The Avengers, Thor: Ragnarok, and Doctor Strange. The latter was notable since Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson joined the fun while revealing interesting details about the movie. Now, it is James Gunn's turn as he joined fans across the globe to rewatch Guardians of the Galaxy while also live-tweeting interesting reveals throughout the film.
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Below is a compilation of the interesting reveals from Gunn during the Quarantine Watch Party.
Star Lord's dance scene to the tune of Redbone's "Come and Get Your Love" in the opening sequence of the film is iconic. It set the tone of the whole movie and gave us a unique introduction to Chris Pratt's Peter Quill. Knowing that the dance moves came from Pratt himself gives the fans a whole new perspective when watching the scene.
Fans have been curious to know the reaction of Peter Quill when he returned to Earth during the final sequence of Avengers: Endgame. Even if Earth is his original home, Quill doesn't consider it as such. It is interesting to know that he still laments the death of his mother even now.
Introducing a new franchise is a lot of work for any director. On top of that, this particular job included introducing a new world, species, and a lot of unlikely terms which was a "nightmare" for Gunn. While it was hard doing so, one would agree that the success of Guardians of the Galaxy should convince Gunn that it was a nightmare worth experiencing.
Peter Quill's Sony Walkman is his most-prized possession, so an additional scene with the prison guard wearing it could've emphasized his love for the player as well as his hatred for the prison environment that he had become stuck in.The "Dream of far away, Dreaming on my pillow in the morning" lyrics of the 1975 song "Magic" from the rock group Pilot would've been a fitting reference to Quill's current situation in the Kyln prison, so it's a bit of a shame that this sequence had to be cut
Rocket Racoon, who is voiced by Bradley Cooper, is a fun character to begin with. Being the only Guardian who was not a victim of the snap by Thanos, along with Nebula, proved that he is set to play a bigger role when the franchise's third movie comes around. Gunn wasted no time ro reveal that we will find out more about Rocket's backstory moving forward which excites MCU fans even more.
The key reveal in this tweet is the fact of Rocket's loneliness and disaffection being at the center of the Guardians franchise. Rocket had a life-changing experience during both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame where he saw his friends-turned-family die and return to life. This experience should anchor Rocket's motivation as well as his future interaction with the group moving forward in the third film. After all, he is both a Guardian of the Galaxy and an Avenger.
This reveal from Gunn encapsulates the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise as a whole. Knowing that the childhood trauma between the characters is the definition of their bond gives the fans a whole new perspective. The group might have started off on the wrong foot but their bond has proven to be stronger when their backs are against the wall.
When making a movie, the director is unlikely to know if a sequel is moving ahead. This is quite different for the MCU since it is almost certain that every first franchise movie will have an outright sequel due to the interconnected storylines and the overall success of their franchises. The readiness of Gunn when it comes to mapping out the character's development moving forward shows how much he is invested when it comes to these amazing characters.
Guardians of the Galaxy had the insurmountable task of introducing Thanos to the larger MCU. After the character's cameo during the mid-credits scene of The Avengers, fans were eager to know more about the character. This task obviously fell under Gunn's duties and it was a difficult one based on this reveal. Describing Thanos as an "extra complication" proved that Gunn was overwhelmed on how to squeeze the character in the movie. However, Gunn found a way to make it work and Thanos was eventually given a much larger chance to shine in the last two Avengers movies.
While some hardcore fans may have been aware of this reveal, it is worth noting that Thanos did some experiments of his own not just to Nebula but to Gamora as well. This might be his way of "improving" his daughters to acheive what he believes to be their full potential. This just proves the earlier point of how the shared bond of these characters is linked to their childhood trauma.
The scene that Gunn is referring to is when, after Nebula blows up Gamora's space pod leaving her to die in space outside of Knowhere, Peter Quill insists on saving her by giving her his helmet to survive. While out in space, bubbles appear on Gamora and Quill's faces and the two characters' movements appear to be made in zero-gravity, so this reveal isn't entirely shocking. The scene is breathtaking from both a storytelling and visual standpoint, so even though Gunn believes it to be a "huge mistake" from a production-standpoint, it's hard to feel that same way watching the finished product.
It is interesting to know that the Thanos cameo in the movie, as well as the origin of the Infinity Stones, are the only things that Marvel Studios asked Gunn to include. The studio is surprisingly willing to give creative freedom to directors when it comes to introducing new mythology and dealing with the character's fates.
This is intriguing. For the longest time, fans have been arguing about the origin of the Infinity Stones ever since watching this scene from the movie. To think that the idea that the Infinity Stones were the base of existence prior to the universe itself is just something that Gunn made up gives fans something to think about. Whatever the case, this "made up" origin is canon and will forever be referenced in the Infinity Saga.
Going back to the early stages of the Infinity Saga, it is interesting to find out that Marvel Studios was going back and forth when it came to deciding which Infinity Stones would be introduced in their Phase Two films. If the Power Stone was introduced in Thor: The Dark World as Gunn has now revealed, the film could've been quite different.
No other character in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise has experienced a major redemption arc like Karen Gillan's Nebula. Starting off as a villain but ending up both as a Guardian and an Avenger makes the character's development over the Infinity Saga one of the most vital and monumental in the franchise
For a group of misfits like the Guardians, there will always be that moment when the tides turn that will make them trust each other. Knowing the time when the group realizes that they need to protect each other and fully realizing their bond to one another makes you love the characters even more.
The "We are Groot" scene is probably the most emotional scene in the movie. Groot sacrificing himself for his friends really hits it home and the added spores makes it even more visually stunning and impactful for the audience.
Showing a tough guy (raccoon) like Rocket being vulnerable gives you that emotional punch. Knowing that this is Gunn's favorite moment in the movie makes it even more significant. The added bonus in this scene is the fact that another tough guy in the form of Drax is the one giving the care that Rocket needs. This shows how the Guardians are not just a group of friends but a family as a whole.
Much to the delight of the fans, the rewatch of the film during the Quarantine Watch Party was a worthy experience. The reveals that were shared by Gunn gives everyone a whole new perspective about the movie and the team in general. While Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is still years away, not much is known about the overall plot of the film aside from the tease by Gunn that it will wrap the story of the current iteration of the team. Whatever the case may be, it is now up to Gunn to deliver on the excitement and intrigue that the first two movies have already created.
