When Marvel Studios first announced a movie adaptation of the Slither director James Gunn, some box office experts expected it to be the MCU’s first bomb. A movie about C-tier characters including a talking tree and a homicidal raccoon with a B-movie sensibility seemed to be destined to fail.
Then, of course, Gunn pulled one of Marvel’s biggest hits out of the bag. The Guardians movies have reshaped the MCU with their pitch-perfect blend of heart, humor, and spectacle – and that tree and raccoon are now two of the most beloved and recognizable icons in the world.
Groot
Both incarnations of Groot have become beloved fan-favorites in the MCU. Gunn got to have his cake and eat it, too, with Groot’s death in Guardians of the Galaxy. The original Groot’s “We are Groot” sacrifice is still a heartbreaking moment – he gives his life so his newfound family can live – but he came back a couple of scenes later in an even cuter form.
In the Guardians Vol. 2 credits scene. The adolescent Groot has an attitude, but he gives his arm so Thor’s new weapon can have a handle.
Mantis
When Peter Quill meets his biological father Ego in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, he also meets Ego’s assistant, Mantis, a superhuman empath played by Pom Klementieff. Mantis might not seem particularly powerful, but she can put Ego’s planet-sized mind to sleep and later incapacitates Thanos in Infinity War.
Something seems off about Ego from the start, but Mantis confirms the Guardians’ suspicions when she breaks Ego’s trust to warn them about his malicious intentions. Since then, she’s been a valued member of the team.
Watcher Stan Lee
Stan Lee doesn’t make a regular cameo appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. His cameo in the Guardians sequel unifies all his other MCU cameos by confirming the fan theory that all of Lee’s MCU characters have been different forms taken by a Watcher.
Before the role of the Watchers would be extrapolated in What If...?, Gunn confirmed that Lee is one of them while Yondu, Rocket, and Groot are bouncing around the cosmos in Guardians Vol. 2.
Gamora
With her turn as Gamora in the MCU, Zoe Saldaña has added yet another hugely popular sci-fi franchise to her résumé alongside Avatar.
In addition to being a great deadpan foil for the other Guardians, Saldaña has deftly handled Gamora’s journey from a badass intergalactic assassin doing Thanos’ bidding to a hero who would rather die than let him have what he wants.
Ego
After the first Guardians film teased the reveal of Star-Lord’s biological father, the second movie introduced him as the villain. Played superbly by Kurt Russell, Ego is a self-obsessed alien god determined to reshape the universe in his own image.
At first, Quill loves reconnecting with his father – they even have a catch with a ball of cosmic energy – but when his dad turns out to be a genocidal warlord, Quill does what’s right.
Drax The Destroyer
Drax’s characterization changes massively from the first Guardians movie to the next. In the first one, he’s a brooding antihero singularly focused on avenging his family. In the second one, he brags about his “famously huge turds.”
But, whether Drax is a sword-wielding badass or a comedic buffoon, Dave Bautista has always done a fantastic job with the role, managing the tricky transition from wrestler to actor with gusto.
Yondu
The first Guardians movie introduced Michael Rooker’s Yondu character as the leader of the Ravagers who raised Quill in a decidedly dysfunctional environment before he took on the name of Star-Lord and went off on his own.
The sequel explored Yondu’s character in much more depth, revealing that he did his best as a father and he really does love Quill like a son. This is heartbreakingly clear in the movie’s finale, as Yondu gives his life so Quill will survive. “He may have been your father, boy, but he wasn’t your daddy.”
Nebula
Nebula was introduced as a secondary villain in the first Guardians movie, as she desperately wanted to kill her sister Gamora just to prove to her father Thanos that she could. In the second one, she makes amends with Gamora, and, for the first time in years, they love each other as sisters.
In the ensuing Avengers movies, Karen Gillan carried Nebula’s arc from a redeemed villain to a full-blown hero as she s Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in the fight against the Mad Titan.
Rocket
Although a gun-toting raccoon initially seems one-note, Rocket is one of the most tragic and well-rounded figures in the entire MCU. His biting wit made him a fan-favorite icon, but fans really feel for this character because his wisecracks are shown to be a defense mechanism stemming from a deeply traumatic past.
Bradley Cooper’s heartfelt vocal performance and the lively movements provided on-set by Sean Gunn have combined to make Rocket one of the most human characters in the MCU (despite being a talking raccoon).
Peter Quill
Marvel fans soured on Peter Quill after his misguided actions indirectly led to Thanos’ victory in Avengers: Infinity War, but it only takes a rewatch of either of the Guardians films to what a great character Quill is. Although he turned out to have latent godlike powers, Quill was introduced as the most relatable hero in the MCU.
After the initial trailers dropped, Quill was compared to Han Solo or Indiana Jones. But the great thing that Gunn and Chris Pratt have done with this character is that he’s nothing like Han or Indy; he’s a flawed goofball who wishes he could be as cool as Han or Indy.
