When it first hit theaters, Guardians of the Galaxy was one of the biggest surprises Marvel has ever produced. Featuring a bunch of A-holes in space most people had never heard of, the film has gone on to become a favorite for many fans, in no small part due to its unique voice and surprisingly heartwarming message of friendship. With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 being released later this summer, many have wondered how the sequel will push forward from the original. When it comes to the theme, Drax actor Dave Bautista summed it up as simply as he could with just one word: family.
Dave Bautista will be reprising his role as Drax the Destroyer, the tough-as-nails, but surprisingly funny and literal, alien in the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Bautista sat down with Collider to discuss some of his upcoming role (such as the lead in the action film Bushwick), and, of course, he talked plenty about what's next for everyone's favorite destroyer. Drax is still on a quest to avenge the death of his family, but now he has a new one in the Guardians, and we'll see how that plays out in the sequel. Bautista said:
It's an extended version of the first film, for the Drax character. There's just a lot more ... most people's first perception of Drax would be he's just a big, muscle-y brute, and he's just going to go in and be an all-action character. But he's more funny, driven ... there's a lot more of that. He gets closer and more caring with the other Guardians, and they become more of a solid family in this one. If I had to put a tag on this second film I would say 'family,' that's kind of the theme.
That tracks with everything we know about the film so far. Family and friendship were two of the core themes in Guardians of the Galaxy, so it makes sense that they are still in focus for the sequel. Director James Gunn has said that while the first film was about becoming a family, the sequel is about being a family and all the obstacles or problems that rise up from that. The Guardians are a diverse bunch of personalities, and seeing how they interact and bounce off each other is a huge part of why people love them.
The Guardians won't be the only family unit causing problems in the sequel. Gamora's (Zoe Saldana) sister Nebula (Karen Gillan) still has major beef over the events of the first film, and her joining the team won't exactly makes things easier. We also have Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) finally meeting his father, Ego (Kurt Russell), and learning that he's the son of a ancient, cosmic being. So you know, there's that.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 soars into theaters on May 5.
