For superhero movies especially, the first trailer is key to providing audiences a good idea of what said movie will be like. Often times these kinds of previews follow a standard formula with setting the stage, but occasionally we receive a few that think outside the box. Guardians of the Galaxy is an example of the latter, whited debuted its first trailer in February 2014 and introduced its primary players in a hilariously unique way compared to what Marvel had done before. However, this same trailer almost wasn't released due to poor testing.
While chatting about how he and Marvel plan not to reveal too much about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in its marketing, director James Gunn reminisced to THR about how there was another Guardians of the Galaxy trailer ready to go because the first one evidently wasn't received well. Gunn said:
That trailer tested not very well. We had another trailer that was very cheesy that sold the movie as something different than what it was --- that tested a little better.
Let's all breathe a sigh of relief that Marvel decided not to air that other trailer simply because it performed better during testing screenings. While it definitely was not your average Marvel trailer, it perfectly captured the movie's tone with its offbeat introduction of the main heroes, mainly through the prison lineup. Those moments combined with a decent amount of action made it clear that this Marvel movie was going to be quite different from its predecessors. As for how this trailer was able to see the light of day, James Gunn credits the Marvel marketing team. He continued:
And at the end of the day, the [marketing] guys were like, 'This is what the movie is. We are selling what the movie is. Not something else.' You've got to sell the movie for what it is, and that's what they did. They really bought my trust with that on the first movie.
And sold it they did! Here's the first Guardians of the Galaxy trailer below in case you want to re-experience its awesomeness.
As far as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is concerned, Marvel released a 90-second "sneak peek" in October. James Gunn revealed that a legitimate teaser trailer is completed and will be released "soon." It will be interesting to see whether the sequel tries to go a similar route as its predecessor's first trailer or in a much different direction. Either way, many are excited to see what the future holds in store for these intergalactic troublemakers.
Fans can see James Gunn's next contribution to the Marvel Cinematic Universe when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is released on May 5, 2017.
