before Directed by James Gunn the first Guardians of the Galaxy Movie, it already had a plot Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in his head. Now, to be fair, he didn’t know there would be a third movie at the time; At the time, he didn’t even know if it was Firstly The movie will work. But before he filmed a second of the 2014 original, Gunn knew the backstory and Origin of Rocket Raccoonwhich finally brought him back to life this week Vol. 3.
“My way into The Guardians was initially Marvel talked to me about maybe doing it Guardians of the Galaxy“,” Gunn told io9 in Los Angeles this week. “They actually did some artwork with the Rocket. And I thought, ‘Boy, this can be goofy. This might be like Bugs Bunny in the middle The AvengersI’m like, “How can I not make a fool of her?”
And I thought, “Okay, well, if there was a talking space raccoon, how would it exist?” And as I reflected on it, I began to think how this was the meanest creature in the universe, and this was actually a seed for me entirely. Guardians Triple. This was my way to it, this foundation of only loneliness and sadness, and all these characters are so isolated and sad. So I knew what Rocket’s backstory was from that moment on before I had even figured out the rest of that stuff Vol. 1. It was the first thing I came up with.”
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 It tells two stories at once. One is set in the present day, and follows the current Guardians on an adventure to rescue a sick Rocket. The other traces Rocket’s origins in flashback. It’s kind of The Godfather Part Two this way. And Jan explained why, despite knowing Rocket’s backstory for years, he kept it to himself until now.
“I always thought it was a third movie because I thought we had to tell the Peter Quill story first and then get into the Rocket story,” said Gunn. “I think the only question was, is it going to be a Rocket and Groot movie or is it going to be Guardians 2—Because in the beginning, I was going to do it as Rocket and Groot.”
goblin previously mentioned Rocket and Groot came out several years ago, but this was a short film. It was written, storyboarded, and some footage shot as part of an elaborate but ultimately scrapped plan to introduce the Guardians to audiences before the first movie. However, it’s unclear if the movie Gunn is referring to here is that short or another spin-off.
However, the Rocket and Groot movie never happened. What happened was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which hits theaters this week. Check back later this week for our full conversation with Gunn.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest marvelAnd star WarsAnd Star Trek Releases, what’s next for DC Universe on film and on TVand everything you need to know about the future doctor who.