Written by Erin Lobner. Media by Alli Haug.
On October 19, Marvel released its first teaser trailer for their upcoming sequel “Guardians of the Galaxy 2,” and the internet rightfully geeked out.
The minute-and-a-half long trailer starts out in the halls of (presumably) Peter Quill’s (Chris Pratt) spaceship, the “Milano”. Blue Swede’s “Hooked on a Feeling” echoes in the background. Between dramatic clips of Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Star Lord, the other Guardians, and villains, the words “This summer, the galaxy won’t save itself,” flash on the screen. Take a look:
An amazing thing about Marvel trailers is that they keep plenty of information in the dark while still giving viewers plenty of information to speculate about. Screen Rant provides one of the first plot synopses based on events from the first movie and the teaser. It says: “Peter Quill a.k.a. Star-Lord and his band of misfits continue their cosmic adventures as protectors of the galaxy against all-new threats including Ayesha and the Ravagers as their team grows and Peter learns about his father, Ego the Living Planet, and true heritage.”
Screen Rant also broke down 11 important details from the trailer and explained how they might play out in the movie’s larger plot. If you’re interested, be sure to check out the full list. But for now, let’s take a look at three especially noteworthy elements: Yondu and the Ravagers, Ayesha, and Rocket and Baby Groot.
In the first “Guardians of the Galaxy” movie, Yondu Udonta was portrayed as Quill’s adoptive father figure. He led a group called the Ravagers, “an interstellar group of thieves, smugglers and pirates.” Remember the orb that Star Lord stole at the beginning of the movie– the one that everyone seemed to want? It appears that the orb set up the conflict for the second movie. Despite his anger, Yondu was proud that Quill managed to trick him with a fake orb; the rest of the Ravagers, however, were less than thrilled. One of Screen Rant’s theories for “Guardians 2” is that the Ravagers forced Yondu out, causing him to turn to Quill and the others. That certainly explains why nearly half of the trailer features Ravagers falling from the sky.
The character of Ayesha debuted in Marvel Comics in the 1970s, but this is her first appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She was designed by the Enclave, a group of scientists, to be a perfect being. “Guardians of the Galaxy” writer and director James Gunn described Ayesha as, “The golden High Priestess of a genetically-perfect people called the Sovereign. She’s not a woman to be screwed with – she, and her entire world, are extraordinarily deadly.” From Gamora and her sister, Nebula, to Ayesha, it’s exciting to see lots of powerful women in action in this movie.
In the very last clip of the teaser, viewers got to see Rocket the raccoon blast a hole in a wall, with a baby Groot peering out from his perch on Rocket’s shoulder. This is so exciting, especially since the most heartbreaking scene in the first movie was when Groot surrounded the Guardians in his branches as their spaceship crashed to earth. They survived, but he exploded into twigs on impact. Rocket collected some of the sticks and put them in a pot of soil. Then, in an adorable post-credit scene, Baby Groot was alive and well, dancing in his pot to The Jackson 5’s song “I Want You Back”. So, while James Gunn has not confirmed how much Groot will remember of his old life, it’s just good to know that he will, in fact, be a part of the adventure.
Now for just a couple of side notes: first of all, how adorably awkward was the teaser scene between Quill and Drax? It’s good to see Drax displaying some emotions, even if they aren’t necessarily well-received.
Also, one substantial character was not mentioned throughout this article. That is Quill’s father, Ego the Living Planet. His character can be difficult to explain, and hard to understand. How can a planet father a human(ish) child? Kurt Russell plays Ego in the movie, and it’s exciting to anticipate how James Gunn will portray the Living Planet. If you want more background on Ego before watching “Guardians 2,” check out this article by Screen Rant, which gives a detailed background based on the Marvel Comics.
There’s a long way to go before the “Guardians of the Galaxy 2” comes out. The release date is set for May 5, 2017. But James Gunn promises, “We have countless more surprises for you as we get closer to our release date. And even more of them in the movie itself.”
