Marvel Studio’s latest film, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, hit theaters last Friday, May 5th. The two hour and eighteen minute long buddy comedy in space (imagine Stepbrothers meets Star Trek) was a breath of fresh air compared to the studio’s other most recent release, Captain America: Civil War.  The previous film was a thriller pitting two factions of Marvel’s Avengers against one another, causing a tone of uncertainty to permeate both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the fanbase. Vol. 2 delivered a fresh storyline, full of interstellar antics, laser beams, and as sophomore Eli Fano described it, “a good  mix of action, plot and comedy!” Here are some of  the highlights of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, from a comic book nerd’s perspective.

WARNING! SPOILER ALERT!

Like Father, Like Son

At the end of the first ‘Guardians’, an official from the righteous, blue-suited Nova Corp thanks Star-Lord Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) for saving their planet, and drops a cliffhanger that kept fans guessing until the second movie was released.

The Nova Corp officer tells Quill that he is half human, half… something else. Something ancient. Comic book aficionados immediately took to Internet forums, speculating about Peter Quill’s lineage. Finally, early on in Vol. 2, Star-Lord’s father reveals himself to be a planet.

Ego the Living Planet, specifically. An overlooked character in the annals and pages of Marvel comicbook history, Ego’s character, portrayed by Kurt Russell, is just as much of a fun-loving, energetic music lover as his son, with a twist. He is a god, dead set on conquering the universe, and he is immortal so long as the planet that houses his consciousness stays intact. This presents a major issue when he wants to recruit Quill to assist in his conquest.

I. Am. GROOT!

Along with the return of the Guardians came the reprisal of Vin  Diesel’s voiceacting role as Groot, the sentient tree creature. This time around, however, Groot’s character was going through the process of regenerating after his battle with Ronin the Accuser, the villain from the last movie. This rendered the creature more of a sapling with the characteristics of a toddler. Groot’s stature lends itself well to an underlying family dynamic throughout the whole film, a subtle difference between this movie and the former Guardians flick. Sophomore Vivian McIsaac says, “I actually liked it better than Vol. 1, and it’s refreshing, in a way, to continue to see Marvel branch out from their traditional superhero film formula in a more comedic way.”  

Stan Lee and the Watchers

In time-tested Marvel fashion, fans were thrilled to see Stan Lee’s cameo appearance as has become standard practice for the comic writer to do in each of Marvel Studios’ films. This appearance was more for the comic book fans, however. In the scene, Stan Lee is seen in a space suit, sitting on an asteroid, talking to several figures with bulbous heads and dark blue capes. For even the most hardcore Marvel movie fans, the large-headed aliens appear to be simply that. However, for those fans who also read Marvel comics, these figures are recognizable as the Watchers, an ancient alien race that oversees all major historical events of the Marvel universe.

This scene pays even further homage to certain fans. A popular theory going around certain Internet sites, such as Reddit, puts forth the idea that Stan Lee may be one of the aforementioned Watchers. This makes a slight bit of sense as Lee is present in every Marvel movie, even if it is just a small role.

The Takeaway

The second installment of Guardians of the Galaxy franchise delivered a happy, action packed adventure across the stars. From a star studded cast, to astounding CGI, a funny yet serious plot, and a diverse range of characters, this latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe does not disappoint.