Living among aliens comes with a wide array of logistical problems, not the least of which is the issue of language barriers. Even if they can comprehend what you're saying, you may still encounter someone who can't even understand metaphors. With that in mind, one Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 fan asked James Gunn to clarify if Star-Lord uses a translator to convert the franchise's many alien tongues to English, and the director revealed that the space-bound hero likely doesn't really use the Earth-based language anymore. Gunn said:
Logically speaking, this explanation makes quite a bit of sense. Yondu and his band of Ravagers abducted Peter Quill from Earth as a small child, so learning a new alien language probably became a necessity to survive. Think about it; if you found yourself in a foreign land at a young age with little possibility of returning home, you would also probably try to assimilate as fast as possible. If there's no one else around speaking English, why cling to the old dialect? Sure there are the alien translators that the Guardians use, but realistically, how many folks are traveling around the galaxy who speak the Earth tongue? Probably not a lot.
So what exactly is the greater implication of this realization? Basically, it means that none of the characters in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise talk the way we think they do. Although the actors on-screen use English to help drive the story forward, it's merely a shorthand that stands in for a wide variety of other alien languages being spoken in every single scene. Nothing can ever be easy with James Gunn, can it?
James Gunn's tweet about Star-Lord's linguistic skills also raises a major question about how well the Guardians will be able to communicate with The Avengers by the time Infinity War rolls around. Even though (according to Gunn in a later tweet) Peter likely remembers most of the English he learned as a child, it may still prove difficult for him to dust it off and properly communicate with The Avengers should something happen to his translator. It's a good thing that he already looks like a human. Otherwise the less trusting Avengers (I'm looking at you, Tony Stark) might not be willing to side with him.
That said, based on what little we have seen from The Avengers: Infinity War, it doesn't look like the language barrier will stand in the way of The Guardians' partnership with The Avengers for very long. The trailer revealed to audiences at D23 and San Diego Comic-Con showed Star-Lord working (quite effectively, I might add) with guys like Thor Odinson and Stephen Strange, which means Peter's English is at least good enough to go into combat. That's a good thing because they're going to need all of the help they can get when Thanos and his dreaded Black Order show up.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will be available digitally on August 8, and the Blu-ray, DVD and 4K home release editions will hit shelves two weeks later on August 22. As for the Guardians' next adventure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they will unite with Earth's mightiest heroes when Avengers: Infinity War premieres in theaters next year on May 4, 2018.
