Marvel Studios is steering full speed ahead on the next round of superhero movies, which includes a number of sequels and the debut of a cosmic team known as the Guardians of the Galaxy. While the Guardians movie is currently being rewritten by Chris McCoy, a rumored plot synopsis for the film popped up this week:
"About a U.S. pilot who ends up in space in the middle of a universal conflict and goes on the run with futuristic ex-cons who have something everyone wants."
Though that synopsis is only one sentence long, it hints at what direction Marvel is taking these characters. We've decided to explore what the synopsis reveals -- assuming its accurate -- and the various questions it raises.
As we've discussed in past Marvel features, one of the functions of the Avengers was to serve as a litmus test for casual fans, determining whether or not they'd tolerate a few science fiction-based characters and plot elements alongside more traditional superhero fare. Audiences seemed to respond well, given the box office numbers, and that's why Marvel is pushing ahead with a Guardians of the Galaxy movie.
GotG will take Marvel's Cinematic Universe more fully into the realm of sci-fi. However, whether you're looking at comics like Guardians of the Galaxy or TV shows like Farscape, one element many space-based stories share is that at least one central protagonist hails from Earth. It helps to have an ordinary hero for fans to latch onto and to help keep the story grounded a bit.
The summary makes it clear that the GotG movie will have such a character. Chances are the “U.S. Pilot” in question is Peter Quill, better known as the hero Star-Lord. In the comics, Quill is a NASA pilot with a troubled childhood who essentially cheats his way into becoming a super-powered space cop. Star-Lord had a largely solo career until he became leader of the modern version of the Guardians after the storyline Annihilation: Conquest.
Marvel's concept painting (seen at the top of this page) clearly shows Star-Lord front and center among the Guardians. However, there's also the possibility that the summary isn't referring to him at all. The original version of the Guardians created in 1969 was a team based in the 31st Century rather than the present. That team had its own Earth-based hero named Vance Astro. Like Quill, Astro is a NASA pilot, only he was frozen in suspended animation for 1000 years as he traveled to Alpha Centauri on an experimental spaceship. Astro eventually joined up with a number of colorful heroes to form the futuristic Guardians of the Galaxy.
Another remote possibility brought up by the folks at Topless Robot is Carol Danvers. Though best known as the heroine Ms. Marvel, Danvers was recently rechristened Captain Marvel in the comics. Danvers is an Air Force pilot who accidentally gained powers when she was abducted by Kree scientists. It's unlikely that Marvel would opt to bring in a separate Avenger character when the GotG franchise already has two separate characters who fit the “U.S. Pilot” bill. Additionally, her origin might be too difficult to pull off in the context of a team movie like this.
On the other hand, Marvel has been placing unusual emphasis on the character in their comics recently. Perhaps they're preparing for her mainstream Hollywood debut? Also, it really wouldn't hurt the Marvel Cinematic Universe to have more central female heroes. There's no need for Black Widow to continue shouldering that burden alone.
It's more likely that the U.S. pilot is Peter Quill rather than Astro or Danvers. However, as we'll discuss later, it seems that Marvel may be combining elements of both versions of the Guardians. It's possible the cinematic Star-Lord will at least share some traits with Vance Astro.
As mentioned, there are two distinctly different versions of the Guardians of the Galaxy in the Marvel Universe, one based in the present day and one in the 31st Century. The concept painting Marvel released suggests that the movie will be based on the contemporary Guardians. However, the fact that they're referred to as “futuristic ex-cons” has us wondering if the movie isn't borrowing from both incarnations. Are the Guardians futuristic because their technology and resources are leaps and bounds beyond Earth's, or because they literally come from the future?
Perhaps Marvel Studios are still hoping to keep the movie as contained to Earth as possible. By setting the movie in the future, the various team members could be explained as being products of highly advanced genetic engineering rather than aliens. In the case of some of them (Drax, Rocket Raccoon) this isn't necessarily that off the mark anyway. However, we fear the team would lose some of its color and charm if they were all presented as Earthlings.
Either way, time travel could easily become an element of the conflict. Even in the contemporary GotG series, some of the characters were whisked away to the future in order to see what dark fate was in store for the universe 1000 years down the road. Both timelines could come into play as the Guardians confront a terrible threat in the 31st century and then travel back in order to stop its rise. Time travel could even be used to foreshadow the events of Avengers 2, which we now know won't be hitting theaters too long after this movie.
Perhaps the most interesting and unexpected tidbit of information revealed in the plot summary is that the Guardians are “ex-cons.” While individual team members have sometimes had questionable loyalties, the Guardians as a whole have never been portrayed as being on the wrong side of the law. Most are bounty hunters or adventurers, while Groot is royalty on his home planet.
Perhaps their respective origin stories are being altered for the Cinematic Universe. The Guardians may become a team more like DC's Suicide Squad, where prisoners volunteer for dangerous missions in exchange for reduced sentences. Given Peter Quill's somewhat shady past, he may find himself thrust into a similar sort of situation when he commits a galactic faux pas. If this is the function the team serves in the movie, we'll be curious to see what intergalactic power is giving them orders.
We also wonder if this means the Klyn will factor into the conflict of the movie. The Klyn is a maximum security prison built at the edge of the universe and designed to hold the most powerful creatures in the universe (even characters like the Beyonder and some of Galactus' relatives). Star-Lord himself spent time in the prison before his recent resurgence in the comics. Using the Klyn as a locale in the movie ensures that Marvel can toss in pretty much whatever iconic villains and alien races they want, depending on contractual rights.
Source : feeds[dot]ign[dot]com
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