With Josh Brolin recently telling us to expect “Thanos against everyone,” a lot of fans were hoping this would mean a full-on Guardians of the Galaxy/Avengers crossover come Avengers: Infinity War, but as James Gunn explained to Screen Junkies, a two-team team-up isn’t likely.
“[We’re] trying to make [Avengers] effect it as little as possible,” said Guardians helmer Gunn when asked how much the dark tone of Avengers: Age of Ultron would effect Guardians of the Galaxy 2. “We really are separate from the Avengers, and I don’t think people should assume too many things about the Guardians play in all this. We have our own galaxy to take care of. We have our own galaxy to save. Earth is the Avengers’ province. Thinking that everything is going to come together in a perfect way is not necessarily the way it’s gonna happen.”
While it may have been an idea at one point to have a massive team-up, the quirky comedic sensibility of Guardians makes it an odd juxtaposition with the rest of the MCU. If the first film was any indication, we would definitely say Dave Bautista’s Drax and Brolin’s Thanos are on a collision course–not to mention some unresolved issues between the Mad Titan and his adopted daughter Gamora (Zoe Saldana)–yet that may not affect the two Infinity War films any more than the battle of New York in Avengers affected Guardians (pretty much nil). Infinity stones have been the McGuffin that ties all of Marvel’s films together, but the success of Gunn’s vision proves he doesn’t need Captain America or Iron Man to get butts in the seats.
One thing fans CAN expect from Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is more of Star-Lord’s outlaw mentor Yondu, as well as Sean Gunn’s Kraglin.
“Listen, Michael Rooker is my good friend,” Gunn stated. “Where would I be without Michael Rooker by my side on a film project. I haven’t made a movie yet without him. Who knows? There’s a good chance we’ll see at least a little bit more Yondu…. And Kraglin, my brother! I love those ravagers, they’re one of my favorite parts of the movie.”
Guardians of the Galaxy 2 will be released on May 5, 2017, while Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 opens on May 4, 2018.
