James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy made quite a splash last year at the box office, so it was no surprise when shortly after its release, Marvel ordered Guardians of the Galaxy 2. Gunn will be returning to the director’s chair, and has been spending months figuring out the best way to approach the follow-up, such as what the new soundtrack will be. Gunn announced earlier this week that he has finished the first draft of the 2017 blockbuster, but now the Slither director has revealed that Marvel Studios had an unusual response to his Guardians of the Galaxy 2 pitch. To put it bluntly, they didn’t give him a single note.
On his Facebook post about finishing the first draft of Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Gunn was asked what the sequel’s pitching process to Marvel was like - specifically how involved the studio was with in giving ideas or plot points and the movie’s interconnectivity with the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Wrote the filmmaker,
I told Marvel what I wanted to do, and they said okay. They gave me nothing. That said, I already know where things are basically going. But the important thing to me is GotG2 only right now - making it a great movie.
The fact that Marvel didn’t have any notes or suggestions for James Gunn must be a testament to how confident they are in his work and approach. Typically, studios like to give pointers and other mandates on what to include in the film, especially when it concerns a shared universe. That being said, Gunn did prove himself after the first Guardians of the Galaxy entry, which grossed nearly $775 million worldwide and earned near-universal acclaim. It also helps that unlike most of the MCU’s other entries, the Guardians of the Galaxy are out in space and away from the events on Earth, making it easier to keep things self-contained. The pitch was also evidently so good that it brought Chris Pratt to tears, so that’s another point for Gunn. However, it’s still early in the creative process, and Marvel may end up giving Gunn notes during production or post-production.
With Guardians of the Galaxy 2 less than two years away, there’s little we know about what to expect. In addition to the five leading characters, Gamora’s adopted sister Nebula (Karen Gillan) and Peter’s former father figure Yondu (Michael Rooker) will be returning. The movie is also expected to introduce several new characters, like Gunn’s favorite superhero and a new Guardian to join the team. Gunn has also described Guardians of the Galaxy 2 as a "story about fathers," which could mean that we’ll finally meet the mysterious individual who sired Peter Quill. Other than those things and a few other minor tidbits, Gunn is keeping mum on what’s being planned, so we’ll just have to wait and see what’s in store.
Guardians of the Galaxy 2 will be released in theaters on May 5, 2017.
