SDCC '13: James Gunn Talks Thanos; Says Rocket Raccoon And Groot Casting Coming "Next Week"
Well, "next week-ish" that is! According to Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn, casting news for both team members is on the way, while it appears Marvel are planning on retconning the after-credits scene of The Avengers by making Thanos a foe for the Guardians. Check it out!
Following the unveiling of the first footage from Guardians of the Galaxy at Marvel's San Diego Comic-Con panel, James Gunn later told reporters at a press conference that casting news for both Rocket Raccoon and Groot is coming...very soon! "Tomorrow, next week-ish," the director promised after checking with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige. When The Incredible Hulk was released in 2008, the plan was for The Avengers to face him in their own team-up movie in 2011. Of course, as the Marvel Cinematic Universe expanded and Joss Whedon came on board, that all changed. That was why the studio would then use a one-shot short movie to explain away Tony Stark's meeting with General Ross in the post-credits scene of that movie! It now appears as if they're doing the same for the one from The Avengers as Thanos becomes a threat to the Guardians of the Galaxy instead of to Earth in The Avengers: Age of Ultron. "We have Thanos," Gunn said. "Thanos is the thing connecting us to the rest of the Marvel Universe at this point and in the future we'll see what happens after this, but for right now, we're connected to the rest of the Marvel Universe because we're resetting the end of The Avengers." Even so, I'm betting that we'll see Earth's Mightiest Heroes battling it out with the Mad Titan in the third instalment of that franchise! You can watch the press conference in full below.