Skip to content
Answering Your Questions About Reactor: Right here.
Sign up for our weekly newsletter. Everything in one handy email.
When one looks in the box, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the cat.

Reactor

Want yet another way to watch Guardians of the Galaxy? Last night co-writer/director James Gunn popped onto Facebook (accompanied by Sean Gunn, Michael Rooker, and Stephane Ceretti, the VFX supervisor for Marvel) and held a communal screening! As he watched the film, he typed up a real-time commentary track and answered questions from fans. This Q&A format allowed Gunn to delve into a few aspects of the film, including a troubling moment between Drax and Gamora, and we got some insights into Rocket and Groot’s relationship!

  • We might see more of Cosmo in the sequel!
  • Apparently there were discussion between Gunn and Kevin Feige about doing a Rocket & Groot spinoff before moving on to a GotG sequel…but they decided against it. Gunn says he has ideas for at least three more GotG film, if Marvel keeps him around.
  • If he could work on a DC film it would be Shazam.
  • While there are many actors that Gunn would like to work with, “Al Pacino is up there.” Hmmm….
  • Gunn gives an answer to one of the more contentious moments in GotG: given Drax’s incredibly literal culture, why does he feel it’s appropriate to call Gamora a whore? Gunn replies: “Because that’s what they called her in the Kyln and that’s what he thinks she is.” He also makes it clear that he wants everyone to blame him for that moment, and not Drax.
  • There’s still one major easter egg left in the film that people are missing.
  • James Gunn himself was Dancing Baby Groot! When his friends saw an early screening they recognized his unique dance moves.

Guardians of the Galaxy Rocket Raccoon

The scene where we see Rocket’s scarred back is important to the film because “it’s the first time we see Quill has a soul, as he’s obviously upset by it. From here on in the film his choices become increasingly less selfish.”

The discussion became a little heavier when people came in with questions about Quill’s mother, Meredith. Gunn “got a lot of pressure not to use Ain’t No Mountain, because it’s been used a lot. But it’s hard to find a song that’s a love song that works as a message from a dead mother to her son. It’s just perfect… Laura [Haddock], the actress who played Meredith, recorded her lines for the letter in a car with me on a small recording device. I cried in the car with her! We thought we’d have to redo the performance but it was perfect so we kept it in – those lines, read in a car, on set in London.”

And, in case you’re not already sniffly enough, Gunn delved further into the relationship between Rocket and Groot. there were many details on Rocket and Groot…and not all of them are happy. First, remember this moment?

Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy

This scene was almost cut from the film twenty times. Luckily wiser heads prevailed. In further moments of whimsy, Groot’s spores were inspired by the snow in Edward Scissorhands.

So far, so good, right? Oh, just wait.

Gunn’s theory on why only one of Groot’s branches regrows is that “like Sandman in the comics – he only exists in one part.” Which makes sense (but unfortunately means that Xandar doesn’t have a forest of Groots after all…) and isn’t too sad, right? Gunn also believes that “Rocket is drawn to [the correct branch] due to their connection” and then stresses that Rocket did not know that Groot could regrow himself. So, he just picked up a branch, and planted it, because he missed his friend???

Oh…we may need a minute. But wait, what’s this about their connection?

“Rocket’s never known a moment of physical tenderness in his life outside of Groot’s branch against his face.”

WHY ARE YOU MAKING US FEEL THINGS, SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER? Which brings us to Gunn’s favorite moment: “Drax petting Rocket is my very favorite moment in the movie and I cry every time I see it. I’m even getting teary now.”

OK, fine we can handle it, Groot came back after all. He and Rocket are together again, right?

James Gunn: “Well, who says baby Groot is Groot and not Groot’s son. He might be dead.”

WHAT. OK, we’re going to assume that Gunn just left Facebook open when he left the room, and Thanos came in and typed that as a cruel joke. That’s…that’s what this is.

Head over to James Gunn’s Facebook page to recreate this annotated movie party, if you can handle the onslaught of emotions. Groot lives!

About the Author

About Author Mobile

Stubby the Rocket

Author

Learn More About Stubby
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments