Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 won’t hit theaters until May 5, 2017, but fans are crazy for details about its next installment. Guardians Vol. 2 director/writer James Gunn did a Q&A on Facebook yesterday, during which he talked about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, collaboration between Marvel directors, future Marvel movies, Rosenbaum vs Rooker street fight and DC movies.
You can read the highlights bellow:
FAN: Since you have a prominent position in the MCU do you know where the Hulk is currently located?
GUNN: Yes, since I have the script for Thor 3 on my desk.
FAN: How much collaboration is there between you and all the other directors building this huge marvel universe?
GUNN: I honestly just go into my little hole and create my story, so there isn't a lot of collaboration at the story-building end. That said, I did give the script to the Russo brothers and Marcus and McFeely to read, so they knew what I was doing in case it affected anything they were doing (which comes after me), but they didn't have any notes. I've also read a lot of the recent Marvel scripts and given them my notes.
FAN: Once you finish telling your GOTG story, would you return to the MCU and helm something else? If yes, what is your top pick?
GUNN: Probably not, no. I'm not sure what's going on next but IF I chose to stay in the MCU I'd be playing solely with cosmic characters related to the Guardians-verse.
FAN: They say that Suicide Squad has beat out Guardians at the box office, but you breathed life to a bunch of mostly unknown characters to us and made them known, as opposed to their characters already being popular. So James, I look forward to watching GotG2 destroy their record.
GUNN: It beat us first weekend. We almost made more money second weekend. And there is a very likely chance we'll make more money at the end of the day (we made more domestically than BvS even). The great thing about Guardians wasn't that it came in and made a ton of money but that so many people went and told their friends about the movie, who went to see it, and that people kept coming back again and again. By the time we were in the later weeks, we were making more money than any comic book film EVER, which was such an amazing feeling for those of us who put our hearts into it.
FAN: Were there ever any characters from the comics you that you wanted to incorporate into GOTG that didn't make the final cut? If so what dictated your decision to exclude those characters?
GUNN: Yes. In my initial treatment I had a whole other Guardian involved. I loved the character and loved including him/her, and thought my take was fun. But I started to feel that there were two many characters in the story and for all of the characters to get their due, I needed to remove one. So this character left, and Mantis stayed.
FAN: Is guardians of the Galaxy 2 gonna focus more on the comedy or more drama since thanos is becoming more And more of a threat.
GUNN: It's both more dramatic and funnier than the first one (those aren't two opposing things). But there's no Thanos in the film.
FAN: if Peter's dad is an angel batthed in light how does that work as a planet? Did he explode? Sounds like a dangerous way to climax. And no i don't expect a straight answer (obviously)
GUNN: To answer those questions you have to see the movie - but I promise you it all fits together - Meredith Quill's story with Peter's story with Yondu's story with Ego's story.
FAN: Who would win in a bare knuckle street fight: Rosenbaum or Rooker? Battle of the Michaels. I'm asking for a friend who is also named Michael.
GUNN: I mean, Rooker would beat almost anyone I know easily. He's a very tough guy brought up in a very tough way. Maybe Bautista could take him, but that's honestly it, at least of actors.
FAN: what do you think of the DC films like Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad and If you were presented the opportunity to make a DC film. What characters, story would you you be interested in turning into movie magic?
GUNN: I thought there was some amazing action sequences in Man of Steel, but I haven't seen the other two films. I've had opportunities to make DC films, but I haven't said yes to anything, and not sure I would at this time. I've talked before about which projects appeal to me the most IF I was into making one, and it's always Shazam and Metal Men and Swamp Thing and Johan Hex and a few other DC IPs I've enjoyed for a great deal of my life.
FAN: Which MCU movie are you looking forward to watching in theaters next, and why that movie specifically?
GUNN: I'm really looking forward to most of them.
FAN: What's the one new concept (like introducing Ego or adding Yondu and Nebula to the group or anything like that) you were most excited about bringing to Vol 2?
GUNN: Kurt Russell as Ego, probably. But I also love Pom as Mantis.
FAN: Will this movie be better than the last?
GUNN: I don't really think in terms of competing with myself, but I think it is a richer, more complex, and more graceful film.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 comes out May 5, 2017.