James Gunn reveals the Guardians of the Galaxy originally only had cameos in Avengers: Infinity War. After nearly a decade of movies, Marvel Studios saw Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame as the culmination of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to this point. The two films brought together characters from across the MCU, and the Guardians of the Galaxy wound up playing instrumental roles in how Infinity War played out, prior to all but Rocket and Nebula getting snapped by Thanos.
The Guardians’ roles in Infinity War began when they responded to the Asgardian distress signal and found Thor barely alive among the wreckage. This moment propelled members of the Guardians on two different journies: Rocket and Groot went with Thor to create Stormbreaker, while Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, and Mantis went to Knowhere to find Thanos. This story saw Thanos take Gamora with him and ultimately sacrifice her to obtain the Soul Stone on Vormir, while Star-Lord and others fought Thanos on Titan later on. It is almost impossible to imagine Infinity War happening without the Guardians playing vital roles, but that was nearly a reality.
Guardians of the Galaxy writer-director James Gunn is participating in Comicbook.com’s #QuarantineWatchParty on Twitter for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and was asked by Comicbook’s Brandon Davis whether he knew how big of a role they would play in Avengers 3 & 4. Although they were always going to be part of the movie, Gunn revealed that the original plan for Infinity War only included cameos for the Guardians.
Gunn stopped short of providing additional details of what the Guardians’ Infinity War cameos would’ve looked like, but it is an interesting alternative to consider. The obvious question is when and where these cameos would’ve happened. The Guardians’ roles could’ve been the same at the start, but they simply go off on their own after saving Thor. It’s possible that these cameos could’ve come at a different juncture as well, or even at the end of the movie, to show the universe-altering effects of the snap. In any case, a reduced role for the Guardians raises questions about how Thanos would’ve obtained the Soul Stone and changes many other aspects of the film.
Instead of going with the original plan, though, directors Anthony and Joe Russo and writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely wound up finding a more prominent role for the Guardians in Infinity War and Endgame. As a result, the Guardians have been profoundly connected to the larger MCU. These connections will reportedly lead to them appearing in Thor: Love and Thunder next, before returning for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. And if they have an even bigger role in the future of the MCU, Avengers: Infinity War should be the first of many crossovers featuring the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Source: Screenrant, by COOPER HOOD