All the things we’re excited about for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Last Updated on July 31, 2021

Two months. That’s all we have to wait until GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 kicks off the summer and the final slate of movies that leads us into INFINITY WAR. Though we can’t be certain till the movie comes out how much the movie will link to next year’s superhero epic, we can say the movie has a lot to be excited over. I know, I know, your brain is being bombarded with all the potential awesomeness this movie has to offer that you can’t even remember all there is. But do not fret, humble reader, for we here at JoBlo have complied a list of all the amazing elements that will make up this galactic adventure, all so you’re brain doesn’t have to melt. So just sit back, relax, and get ready to wish we could teleport to May 5.

BABY GROOT

Let’s just get this one out of the way, because you all knew it was coming: Baby Groot (Vin Diesel) is going to be cutest, cuddliest, most adorably vicious character the MCU has ever given us, and he WILL steal the show. There isn’t a single demographic that won’t absolutely fall in love with him because only a heartless person would hate him, and as we all know the Heartless Clan of the Bershungpaw Mountains were wiped out centuries ago.Some more cynical folks believe he only exists to sell more toys (which he will), but director James Gunn has gone on record saying he came into the movie organically, and serves a real purpose in developing the relationship between he and Rocket (Bradley Cooper). Even though that’s probably true Gunn didn’t need to clarify his purpose, because Baby Groot already had one: being f@cking precious.

THE END CREDITS SEQUENCE

Okay, this one can apply to any Marvel movie, but given this movie’s placement on the release calendar, and it’s intergalactic setting, it means we will probably see our first footage for either INFINITY WAR or THOR: RAGNAROK, both of which are shaping up to be some of the biggest standouts in all of the MCU. Everyone is gonna turn out for this movie, so hopefully Marvel has something big to show us all…just as long as it’s not more Howard the Duck.

THE NEW SOUNDTRACK

One of the standout elements of the first movie was the usage of old-school, vintage pop and rock hits that made up the Awesome Mix Vol. 1. The music gave the movie a hip feel and unique sound, as well as giving Star Lord/Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) an emotional link back to his home on Earth. The soundtrack became a best seller on the music charts and made "Hooked on a Feeling" more popular than ever. We can only imagine what great hits make up the Awesome Mix Vol. 2 that Lord unwrapped at the end of the first movie, but if it’s as great a mix as the first we’ll have plenty more classic songs to re-discover and play relentlessly at local hipster bars.

ALL THE NEW CHARACTERS

As with all sequels we will get a few new additions, and in this case some unqiue looking ones, as the Guardians venture to new locales in this whacky universe. Here I’m specifically referring to Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki). Both characters will act as a greater link to the larger universe we’ll get to see in this movie. With Mantis we’ve already gotten a taste of her quirk, and I think she’ll become a welcome addition to the Guardians team. And on that note…

A GROWING GUARDIANS TEAM

As we saw in the second trailer the Guardians team won’t remain the original squad of Lord, Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket and Groot. We saw returning characters Yondu (Michael Rooker) and Nebula (Karen Gillan) shifting sides to join our heroes, so it’ll be interesting to see how those character dynamics shift, and what about the story will cause them to have to all team-up. But they will have to explain why they always have suits lying around that fit anyone juuuuust right. Space tailor?

SYLVESTER STALLONE

Because this man has earned his own section, that’s why! We know Sly will be playing a Nova Corps member, but how much of him we will see is totally a mystery. His casting was too high-profile to be a small cameo, so maybe we’ll see two or three scenes with him. No matter what, it was a stellar idea to include this icon, and it’s killing us to see what he brings to the table in this massive movie. Much like the casting of the man in the next section it shows the scope of audience these movies are reaching. It’s not only up-and-coming talent who want in on the Marvel game. Everyone wants in on this delicious pie.

KURT RUSSELL AS EGO THE LIVING PLANET

This man also gets his own section, even though he could fit into the earlier section of talking about new characters This is because not only has Russell earned his own column after decades of badassery, but because his presence has so much more potential than any of the other new characters. The first movie hinted we’d eventually find out who Quill’s father was, and now that we know who he is in this movie we now get to see how he factors into the heroes life. Maybe something he says or does convinces Quill to go back to Earth. Who knows? I don't! He’ll probably have a big role to play in developing Lord as a character. That, and being a celestial entity in a human form, means there's soooo much more he has the capability to do other than look like Jesus if he just kept to himself and had grown older. He's Kurt Russell, dammit! I shouldn't have to remind you why this is awesome!

THE FAMILY DYNAMIC

The first movie of course dealt with this ragtag group of A-holes having to learn to work together, but I think it’s safe to say not everything is worked out between the gang in this movie. There’s still gonna be room to grow, and seeing what developments the characters have made, and will make, as a unit will be a major theme of the film. We'll get to see the romance between Star Lord and Gamora bloom, Rocket and Groot’s bond deepen, and Drax eating soup. How all of that intermingles will be fascinating to witness. Plus these guys are absolutely hysterical together, and though the world Gunn has brought to life is filled with oddball eccentrics, it's the main ensemble that rings out the best moments.

BIGGER ACTUALLY MEANING BETTER

As we’ve learned through the history of fantastically horrendous sequels, bigger isn’t always better. Sometimes the bigger is just means “more” and better means “hellish”. But with GUARDIANS being bigger than the first means at the least it will be more interesting. New planets, new life forms, larger-scale action set pieces and more laughs. There’s so much to explore (especially with ties to the larger MCU, which we will discuss next) and whatever was strange or unique about the first film will be amplified here.

A GREATER CONNECTION TO THE MARVEL UNIVERSE

When the first GUARDIANS came out there were no initial plans to make a sequel. Marvel didn’t seem to know how audiences would respond it, so they didn’t wanna get too far ahead of themselves. But it was met with overwhelmingly positive response early on, and a sequel was green lit. Since then we discovered the Guardians will indeed be fighting along the Avengers in INFINITY WAR. That being the case, it’s safe to think that GUARDIANS VOL. 2 will have a much more direct link to the rest of the MCU. There has to be something the team experiences or discovers that leads them to Earth and into the fray. They aren’t just going to randomly show up and be like “Hey guys, looks like you need a hand…or a SPACESHIP!” and save the day. Their presence has to make sense, and seeing how that comes to fruition is what I’m most excited to see. I have no doubt the movie will be able to stand on its own and exist in its own realm, but the possibilities for expansion are truly endless.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 arrives May 5 with Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Dave Bautista, Kurt Russell, Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Sylvester Stallone and more.