The later part of Marvel’s Phase Two seems to be coming together. With more than half of the slate in some state of production already (besides ‘Iron Man 3’, which is out in theaters already), we’ve finally got the spotlight on the last two films rounding out this chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Over the past few weeks, we’ve been getting an idea of who will be appearing in the upcoming Marvel Phase Two film ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’. Many big names like Karen Gillan, Glenn Close, and Benicio Del Toro have all become attached to James Gunn’s next film. And more recently, we’ve been hearing that a pair of classic Avengers may be joining the team in ‘The Avengers 2’ (despite also appearing in Fox’s ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’). However, the latest reports seem to indicate that Joss Whedon may not have the two films crossover in his follow up to his 2012 record-breaking blockbuster.
According to Bleeding Cool, who caught up with the filmmaker at a screening of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ in London, Whedon currently has no plans for Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, or the rest of the team to appear alongside Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor in the next adventure for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. While revealing when he and his crew would be starting up, an interesting note about the intergalactic peacekeeping team came up:
“We’re following ‘Guardians’ at Shepperton [Studios, with ‘Avengers 2’] but we won’t be swapping cast members. Every movie is its own thing and has to be. Unless I take a lot of peyote and write a very different draft… and I’m not ruling that out.”
By the sounds of that statement, it really sounds like the Guardians won’t be appearing in the next Avengers movie because they’re not in the current draft of the script. However, that could change between now and the time they start shooting. That Joss Whedon is a tricky one, after all. He probably knows what we’re all expecting and assuming about the climax of Phase Two, so he needs to do his best to appease the rabid fan base while creating something fresh, new, and original that no one sees coming.
On the flipside, does this mean that no Avengers will appear in the Guardians’ movie? There was a rumor going around that Tony Stark might venture into the depths of space to meet up with the team, similar to what’s going on in the Marvel NOW title by Brian Michael Bendis, but seeing as the post-credits scene of ‘Iron Man 3’ went in an entirely different direction, that outcome seemed unlikely. Marvel isn’t going to play things safe and it’s already been hinted that the cosmic side of things may spill into Phase Three, so Whedon and company could be saving the Avengers/Guardians combo for later on.
Regardless of whether we see a crossover between the two films, I totally agree with Whedon when he says that each movie needs to be able to stand alone. That’s part of the appeal of these Marvel movies. Sure, you could see them all and really get the full scope of what they have to offer, but you don’t have to, and that makes them all seem less daunting in a way. They’re all very accessible for fans to enjoy as much or as little as they want.
How does Joss Whedon’s quote about ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ and ‘The Avengers 2’ sound to you? Feel free to express your own interpretation in the comment section and then maybe share how you think the two teams will cross paths.
‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ blasts off on August 1st, 2014 and ‘The Avengers 2’ assembles in theaters on May 1, 2015.
