Comicbook's Quarantine Watch Party has quickly become a major part of the quarantine life of movie fans amid the current pandemic. This movement gives fans the opportunity to watch their favorite films together across the globe. Several actors and directors from the Marvel Cinematic Universe have already joined the fun while live-tweeting their thoughts about different scenes as well as revealing major details along the way. Previously, Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn had taken part in the Watch Party and revealed a slew of interesting details about the past and future of the cosmic franchise.
From tweeting his favorite movies to doing an Instagram Q&A, Gunn wastes no time in maximizing the use of social media as a platform for sharing fun bits about his past and upcoming films. Because of this, it was a surprise to few that he was on board to join another Quarantine Watch Party for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 along with Marvel stars Chris Pratt (Star Lord), Pom Klementieff (Mantis), and his brother Sean Gunn (Rocket/Kraglin). While doing so, Gunn shared a whole new bunch of reveals about the movie and a few teases that will make fans excited about the next installment of the franchise.
Below is a compilation of the interesting reveals shared by Gunn during the rewatch.
Fox on the Run was meant for the trailer, not the movie
Gunn has always maximized the use of songs in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. When the first trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was released, fans thought that The Sweet's Fox on the Run was a shoo-in to the final cut of the film. However, this doesn't seem to be the case since Gunn confirmed that the song was only meant for the trailer.
Flash Gordon's influence
During Avengers: Infinity War, one of the many iconic character exchanges happened between Chris Pratt's Peter Quill and Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man, where the latter referenced the former as the space opera hero, Flash Gordon. It seems that the call back was no accident as Gunn revealed that the production design for Vol. 2 was heavily influenced by the 1980 flick.
Gamora & Nebula's 'Cameo' in Avengers: Infinity War
Gamora & Nebula played a huge role during the last two Avengers movies, but Gunn revealed that this wasn't the original plan. It seems that Vol. 2 helped pave the way for those larger roles, since the relationship between the two sisters dramaticallly evolved in this movie.
Ravager scenes are fun to shoot
Gunn revealed that the background actors that plays the Ravagers were invested with their roles. It's no wonder why it's always a joy to see them whenever they appear on screen.
Kurt Russell's Star Wars instead of Star Lord
It is easy to interchange Star Lord to Star Wars during one's first few scenes in the franchise and it seems that Kurt Russell fell victim to this mistake.
Quill and Gamora's perspectives were changed
When Ego first introduces himself to the Guardians team, Quill is hesistant about his father while Gamora encourages him to be open about the whole situation. Apparently, this wasn't always the case in the film's script as their roles were initially swapped. The outcome of the first act could've been a little different if Gunn decided to stick with the original personalities of both characters.
Mantis' power explained further
A fan asked if Mantis' power could work in reverse when the team comes across the younger version of Gamora during the post-Infinity Saga timeline, in order for the hero to remember her feelings with Quill from the main timeline. Gunn debunked this by revealing that memories do not work the same as emotions, which Mantis can control. Gunn further revealed that Mantis could not read or send thoughts to another person. It seems that the Guardians will find more creative ways in Vol. 3 to not just find Gamora but also to get her back on their side.
Possible tease for the future of Mantis in Vol. 3?
During the watch party, Gunn showed his admiration to Pom Klementieff with her portrayal of Mantis in the MCU. Gunn also implied that the character has a big role ahead in the upcoming third installment of the franchise. Could we see her powers evolve in Vol. 3? After making Ego and Thanos sleep in Vol.2 and Avengers: Infinity War respectively, the possibilities for what she can do are more open.
Ravager role breakdown
Michael Rooker truly embodied the character of Yondu and Sean Gunn really captured the essence of Kraglin. It seems that Gunn always has a specific person in mind when writing for the roles in the movie, and the Ravagers are a perfect example of that.
Sovereign in Vol. 2 was not directly from the comics
The Sovereign were an annoyance to the Guardians during Vol. 2 (and possibly Vol. 3). Gunn revealed that his take on the alien race was made exclusively for the film, with an exception of Ayesha, a character that has ties with Adam Warlock in the comics. Fans will very likely find out more about Ayesha and the Sovereign in Vol. 3 as well as their plans with "Adam," who was teased during one of the mid-credits scene.
Ego's history was a hard sequence to execute
Fans were treated to a history lesson when Ego explained to the Guardians what he has been up to for the past number of years. Gunn revealed that this sequence was one of the hardest to execute in the movie due to its exposition. Even though it was all a lie on Ego's part, it was well presented by the VFX crew behind the scenes.
Rocket and Yondu's strong connection
Rocket and Yondu are two characters who are both stubborn since they have a lot of pride. However, this doesn't mean that they don't have a soft spot or can't be vulnerable sometimes. Gunn revealed that the two characters complement each other since they are struggling with the same issue. It is no wonder that the two shared scenes the most during Vol. 2 and fans got the chance to get to know these two 'hardasses' even more.
Vol. 2 gave Gunn free reign
Marvel Studios seemed to agree with Gunn when it came to the execution of the scenes in Vol. 2 (even the crazier ones). By giving Gunn free reign in production, the movie is exactly what Gunn has envisioned. One can imagine that this same creative freedom will be available for Gunn with Vol. 3 as he wraps up the trilogy.
Yondu's escape is one of Gunn's favorite
Yondu's escape scene from his former Ravager allies was an entertaining scene to watch. It was fascinating to see Rocket, Baby Groot, and Yondu working together to fend off Taserface and his fellow Ravagers. No wonder Gunn puts this scene in one of his favorites.
Gamora's fate was talked about as early as Vol. 2
Fans were shocked when they witnessed Gamora's death in Avengers: Infinity War. It is somewhat surprising to know that Gamora's fate was set in stone way before in Vol. 2. Just imagine the back and forth among the Russos, the writers, and Gunn when it came to the character's demise.
Easter Egg galore in Vol. 2
Gunn has no shortage of easter eggs in the first two installments of the Guardians franchise and it seems that it still keeps piling up. Gunn revealed that there are a lot of unresolved easter eggs that fans have yet to discover in Vol. 2, and one of them was during the scene involving Ego's murdered children. Fans will no doubt watch that scene again. Now that's one way to promote a movie!
Vol. 2 represents one's battle with ego
Gunn explained that Vol. 2 is a representation of one's battle with ego in one way or another. Looking back, it is a perfect representation and many can relate to this hidden message that is now being unearthed. For those who are having conflict with your ego, you may want to dive in and watch Vol. 2!
Rocket knows Yondu will save Quill
Rocket's line of losing one friend offered an emotional punch to fans everywhere. One would think that he was referring to Quill since Quill is with him in that scene. However, Gunn revealed during the rewatch that Rocket is actually referring to Yondu since he knows he will save Quill. For Rocket, considering Yondu a friend even during their brief time together shows his growth and his evolved compassion to others. This was further shown during the last two Avengers films and it is likely that fans will see more of Rocket's compassion in Vol. 3, since Gunn already confirmed that he will play a big role in that movie.
Nebula's hug to Gamora
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 has a lot of emotional scenes and Nebula's hug to Gamora is included in the list. As fans eventually found out in the next two Avengers film, the hug was the first huge step for Nebula to mend her relationship with her sister.
Quill as a parent?
During one of the mid-credits scene, it shows Quill ordering the now-teenage Groot to clean his room. Gunn pointed out that Quill esentially becomes a parent himself for Groot for the first time. This just shows that the characters care for each other even more the longer they get together. Could this be a hint that Quill will become a father after Vol. 3? Only time can tell!
Rocket's tear
Rocket has been an interesting character ever since his debut in Vol. 1. It's quite amazing how much he has changed over the course of two movies. Seeing the character take a step back and possibly believing in an overseeing being showed him that there is more to the life than the one that he is currently living.
"I'm Mary Poppins Y'all" is the most quoted line in Vol. 2
Probably the most iconic line in the movie, it is no surprise that this is the most quoted line from the Guardians franchise. There are a lot of parodies and memes that are based from this line and it still holds up to this day. Moroever, Gunn revealed that there was another version of the famous line which includes an F-bomb. There is no word if they filmed it or not but one would hope that it gets to be released someday.
Baby Groot's favorite Guardian is Drax
Gunn revealed that Baby Groot has a favorite Guardian and it is none other than Drax. It is a fun reveal since it shows the soft side of Drax amid his tough personality. Since the two didn't spend much time in the last two Avengers movies, one would hope that the relationship between the two is explored further in Vol.3.
Vol. 2 has a lot of credits scenes
Guadians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 has an MCU record for the number of mid and post credits scenes with a total of 5. Yes, that's five! Gunn playfully revealed that he was tired of people asking him about the meaning behind the credits sequences so he added a bunch to Vol.2. It seems that some of these are potential teases while some are just playful ones that don't mean anything for the future of the franchise. One would hope that the bit with "Adam" was one of those major teases since fans have been waiting for the debut of Adam Warlock in the MCU for some time now.
Gunn offered fans a bunch of reveals during the Quarantine Watch Party and it served as a good distraction during these trying times. This just shows that the Quarantine Watch Party is not just a way for fans to share their passion for movies, but it is also a way to look back on the impact of the movie to the viewers. Even though there is no definite release date for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 yet, Gunn's passion for the characters is a good sign for the franchise moving forward.
