Given that it’s one of the most anticipated films of 2017, there’s been plenty of talk aboutGuardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2—much from writer/directorJames Gunnhimself. Obviously since the film doesn’t open in theaters until May, Marvel wisely wants to keep the focus on itsnextfilm,Doctor Strange, but that doesn’t mean folks aren’t still eagerly anticipating the follow-up to what many consider their favorite Marvel movie so far.
Worthwhile sequels aren’t easy to pull off, but Gunn has been adamant thatGuardians of the Galaxy 2will offer fans something very different, and he certainly got off to a terrific start by casting none other thanKurt Russellas the father ofChris Pratt’s Peter Quill. Indeed, while specific plot details are under wraps, we know that Russell plays Ego the Living Planet, an entity who takes on a human form. We also know, from Gunn’s musings, thatGuardians 2will very much be a story centered around this emotional relationship, not just space guns and a rockin’ soundtrack.
Collider’s own Steve Weintraub just caught up with Russell at the Toronto International Film Festival, where the actor was promoting the upcoming BP oil spill filmDeepwater Horizon, and Russell talked a bit aboutGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, echoing Gunn’s sentiments. When asked what fans can look forward to, Russell noted that the atmosphere on set was one of great confidence:
“Well, I’m doing the #2 one, right? So I was really impressed that all of the people on the set were so excited because they felt this was so much stronger than the first one, that they really knew what they were doing and the story itself was strong. That pervaded the set. James and everybody else felt like ‘We got our sea legs on the first one, now we can really go.’”
More specifically, Russell said that the story of the film is very much grounded in human relationships:
“I was impressed with the stuff that I saw at Comic-Con, but they didn’t show you everything [laughs]. It’s a very complex story, and they really get into it. This is going to be one of the more—probably for Marvel, it’s more connected to human issues, family issues, parental issues, and issues that sons and daughters have with their moms and dads and their family tree, where they come from. I just think it’s going to be an interesting— Peter’s character in this one, he’s got dilemmas and he’s got decisions to make that are not just about whether to save that thing or that person. This is about finding out who you are, where you come from, and where you’re going.”
Having been in attendance at Comic-Con, even Russell noted how impressed he was with the footage that was shown off:
“I thought it looked great too. I was really impressed with it,reallyimpressed with it. I mean, believe me, from knowing the script, to see that and what he did with that sequence, I’m excited to see the movie [laughs]. I think it’s going to be really good.”
And of Gunn as a director, Russell had nothing but glowing praise:
“He’s really smart, he’s really sharp. He knows what he’s doing. Plus, he’s a great guy, but yeah, when you come to making the movie, James is really on top of it.”
We’ve been hearing for a while now that withGuardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2introducing Peter’s father, the film will be digging into issues of parentage and identity. And while plenty of pre-release talk for films can revolve around an aspect that turns out to be miniscule in the final product, Russell’s comments here—coupled with the song that Gunn has been singing for months now—only serves to instill confidence that this isn’t going to be your standard “bigger, more explosions” sequel. And hey, if you’ve got Kurt Russell playing Peter Quill’s father, whywouldn’tyou want to tell a grounded, emotional family story?
Look for Steve’s full interview with Russell closer to the release ofDeepwater Horizon. For more onGuardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, peruse the links below.
