Here’s a big one, and I mean that in every conceivable way.
The identity of Star-Lord’s father was draped in mystery from the very first moments of Guardians of the Galaxy, prompting curiosity and speculation from comics veterans (whom were told by director James Gunn not to expect adherence to the printed canon on this particular note) and newbies alike. The question remained in flux when Guardians closed its final scene, though not without a few additional odd references, hints, and misdirects—most notably from Michael Rooker’s curmudgeonly alien scoundrel Yondu, who referred to his criminal protégée’s estranged father as a jackass. It was affirmed after the fact, again by Gunn, that we’d be finding out who begat our pal Peter Quill in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
Once the news broke that Kurt Russell would be joining production, it was practically an open secret that the ’80s icon would be taking on the role of the elder Quill. Still, nobody quite knew what character from the Marvel canon that Russell would be playing, prompting the sort of theorizing that comics fans are known and loved for.
Appropriately, it was at San Diego Comic-Con, in the heat of Marvel Studios’ exceptionally active panel, that fans were given their answer: Russell would indeed be playing Chris Pratt’s alien father, and would what’s more be doing so under the identity of Ego.
Ego, the Living Planet.
No, that’s not a cute nickname. It’s a fitting description of a character who is, quite literally, a sentient astrological body.
“Yeah, his dad is a planet,†Gunn told the audience at SDCC. “It will all be explained in the film.†(Granted, what other explanation do fans of a canon laced with foul-mouthed raccoons, all-powerful tree people and giant skull space stations really need?)
Admittedly, some lines of the canon hold that Ego wasn’t always a planet, but instead the result of a mortal scientist’s melding with a planet after the sort of failed experiment that happens so frequently in the MCU. We don’t know if Gunn will employ this or any other strain of logic to explain how Peter Quill’s human mother conceived a child with a character who is now, quite unmistakably—if I haven’t mentioned this already—a planet.
But I guess we’ll see come May 5, 2017!
Featured Image: 20th Century Fox
Image: Marvel Comics
