The Guardians of the Galaxy is a unique corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As such, it's an area we haven't heard a single thing from since the first film ended. While the trailers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 have given us at least some answers about what the ragtag band of heroes has been up to, they've also created just as many new questions. We need answers.
Who are all these new characters? How do they fit into the story? Exactly what is this movie even about? The fact is that we actually know next to nothing about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but some questions are more important than others. Here are the biggest questions we have about the latest blockbuster from writer/director James Gunn.
Why Did Ego Start A Relationship With A Human?
Ok, so we know how Peter Quill was born. We're familiar with the mechanics of how that works, and we're not going to stress over the biology differences between human and "living planet." Instead, our question about Peter Quill parentage is, why? What circumstance led to Ego interacting with humans in the first place? Was he just cruising the galaxy, or was there something more going on. Does Star-Lord's unique genetic makeup make him some sort of all powerful super being, or is he just a cosmic accident?
Is the Aether Safe?
We doubt we'll get this question answered, since we know The Collector will not appear in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but I for one am still waiting for on screen confirmation that the Infinity Stone left in his care, the Aether, is still safe. It was part of Taneleer Tivan's collection in the first movie, but then his menagerie exploded. The idea that was able to keep his entire collection safe would be foolish. The location of that stuff is going to be important later, so knowing its location is a big deal.
Is Groot the Same Groot?
At the end of the last Guardians movie, we saw Groot go through a sort of rebirth. Now in Vol. 2, he's "baby Groot," but is baby Groot still the same Groot? We've been told that the new Groot won't have the memories of the old one and that the relationship between the two is "complicated." Could you be vaguer? We're sure we're going to love the new Groot, but if the old one actually did die at the end of the last film, we've never taken the proper time to mourn his passing.
How Is Yondu Working With Star-Lord?
When last we left Yondu, he was discovering that he, in fact, did not have one of the most valuable objects in the galaxy, because Peter Quill switched out the item holding the Infinity Stone. While Yondu didn't appear particularly shocked by this, we're sure he was still pissed. In the new film, we've seen that Yondu will join the Guardians of the Galaxy, being bestowed the official title by Groot. Will Yondu have already put the past behind him when we meet him in the new film, or will we actually see whatever transpires to get them all on the same page?
Seriously, How Did He Build A Tape Deck In Space?
James Gunn has taken the time to point out that, in a place where intergalactic travel is the norm, powering Peter Quill's Walkman would seem to be child's play. Fine. We'll accept that, but we still have questions about the full-size tape deck on board the Milano. That would have had to have been built from scratch. Who did it? Where did the parts come from? Why does it look like it's from the 1970s? We could potentially accept a roughly built mechanism, but that thing is pristine.
What Happened to Howard the Duck?
While the post-credits sequence is always one of the highlights of any Marvel movie, the one in the original Guardians of the Galaxy was one of the all-time greats. It had nothing to do with the overall MCU and was entirely focused on laughs. Still, seeing the return of Howard the Duck to the big screen was great and we need a follow-up. Even if the Guardians just walk past him on the street, that's fine. We just want to be sure he's doing ok is all.
How Will The Guardians Finally Connect to the Rest of the MCU?
The Guardians of the Galaxy characters have thus far been doing their own thing with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and while that's given them the freedom to do very different things, time is running out. Avengers: Infinity War is getting close, and so it's time for these characters to start to move toward the bigger picture. Since we know Thanos won't be an active concern on this film, we doubt the larger plot of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will be tying into the bigger story - but at least one of the multitude of post-credits sequences needs to push these guys in the direction of the rest of Marvel's heroes.
