When the Avengers assemble, they do so standing upright and proud, arms akimbo, basking in the American sunlight, watching gallantly over the terrain they have sworn to protect. Not quite the same deal for the Guardians of the Galaxy, however, who apparently prefer to hold their ceremonial team meetings wall-side and eyes down, and all in a wickedly proto-punk shade of gray. The newest poster for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, tweeted out Wednesday morning by Marvel Entertainment, is a due reminder that the group’s devotion to servitude is a distant second to their devotion to attitude.
They’re back. Check out the brand new poster for @Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2! #GotGVol2 pic.twitter.com/Dq7e96Getj
— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) October 19, 2016
That same attitude courses through the new teaser for the film, shared shortly after the poster by Marvel. Scored by the series’ unofficial signature song, Blue Swede’s “Hooked on a Feeling,” the teaser exemplifies the spiritual recipe that makes Guardians such a beloved entity: one part badassery—that’s where a sword-wielding Gamora comes in, sprinting through space with a taste for blood—and one part goofballery. The latter ingredient can be credited to a lovelorn Star-Lord, who we see at the end of the video being given a less-than-sensitive pep talk by pal Drax the Destroyer.
While this milieu is right in step with what Guardians of the Galaxy has led us to expect from its forthcoming follow-up, but that doesn’t mean the poster and trailer are bereft of surprises.
It struck me as noteworthy, in fact, that the supporting player Yondu (Michael Rooker) earned a spot center stage on the sequel’s first major poster release, and likewise a shot marching side by side with Rocket Raccoon in the trailer. Beyond confirming that Rooker will indeed be getting an upgrade in screentime in Vol. 2, the choice to place the Centaurian crook in a tense staring contest with his surrogate son Star-Lord hammers home that Vol. 2 should be a story about families, god-given or otherwise.
Gamora’s sister Nebula gets her due on the poster and in the trailer as well, and we’re sure to see their father Thanos come into the picture by the time Vol. 2 hits theaters in May. (Hell, he may even say a quick hello in Doctor Strange, as is tradition for the Marvel flicks). Beyond these examples, we might expect to see Rocket Raccoon take on a paternal role to the newly infantile Groot (or Groot Jr., as it were). And hey, even Drax seems to be getting in on the game of fatherly advice.
Oh, and let’s not forget about the actual literal planet who Star-Lord will have to reckon with as his estranged pop.
What do you think of these first looks at Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2? Let us know!
Images: Marvel/Disney
