Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a 2017 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team Guardians of the Galaxy, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and the 15th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Written and directed by James Gunn, the film stars an ensemble cast featuring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Sylvester Stallone, and Kurt Russell. In the film, the Guardians travel throughout the cosmos as they help Peter Quill (Pratt) learn more about his mysterious parentage.
The film was officially announced at the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con before the theatrical release of the first film, along with Gunn's return as writer and director from the first film, with the title of the sequel revealed a year later in June 2015. Principal photography began in February 2016 at Pinewood Atlanta Studios in Fayette County, Georgia, with many crew changes from the first film due to other commitments. Filming concluded in June 2016. Gunn chose to set the sequel shortly after the first film to explore the characters' new roles as the Guardians, and to follow the storyline of Quill's father established throughout that previous film. Russell was confirmed as Quill's father in July 2016, portraying Ego, a departure from Quill's comic father.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 premiered in Tokyo on April 10, 2017, and was released in the United States on May 5, 2017, as part of Phase Three of the MCU. It grossed more than $869 million worldwide, making it the eighth-highest-grossing film of 2017, while also outgrossing its predecessor. The film received praise for its visuals, direction, soundtrack, action sequences, humor, and performances, though some critics deemed it inferior to the original. It received a nomination for Best Visual Effects at the 90th Academy Awards. A sequel, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, was released on May 5, 2023, preceded by the Disney+ special The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special in November 2022.
Plot
In 2014, Peter Quill, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Baby Groot are renowned as the Guardians of the Galaxy. High Priestess Ayesha of the Sovereign race has the Guardians protect valuable Anulax batteries from an Abilisk, an inter-dimensional monster, in exchange for Nebula, Gamora's estranged sister, who was caught attempting to steal the batteries. After Rocket steals the batteries for himself, the Sovereign attacks the Guardians' ship with a fleet of drones. A mysterious figure destroys the drones and the Guardians crash-land on nearby planet Berhert. The figure reveals himself as Ego, Quill's father, and he introduces Mantis, his naïve empath servant. Ego invites Quill, Gamora, and Drax to his home planet, while Rocket and Groot remain behind to repair the ship and watch Nebula.
Ayesha hires Yondu Udonta and his crew, who have been exiled from the greater Ravager community by Ravager leader Stakar Ogord for child trafficking, to recapture the Guardians. They capture Rocket, but when Yondu hesitates to turn over Quill, whom he raised, his lieutenant Kraglin Obfonteri questions his objectivity, and Taserface, another lieutenant, leads a mutiny, aided by Nebula, who shoots Yondu. Taserface executes Yondu's loyalists, and imprisons him and Rocket aboard Yondu's ship. Nebula leaves to find and kill Gamora, whom she blames for the torture inflicted on her by Thanos, their adoptive father. Kraglin, who is remorseful and never signed up for a mutiny, helps Groot free Rocket and Yondu, and while escaping, the group set the ship to self-destruct using Yondu's arrow. Taserface informs the Sovereign before being killed by the explosion.
Ego, a god-like Celestial that manipulated the matter around his consciousness to form his "home" planet, explains that he projected a humanoid guise to travel the universe and discover a purpose, eventually falling in love with Quill's mother Meredith. Ego hired Yondu to collect the young Quill after Meredith's death, but the boy was never delivered, and Ego has been searching for him ever since. He teaches Quill to manipulate his inherited Celestial power, while Mantis grows close to Drax and tries to warn him of Ego's plans. Nebula arrives at Ego's planet and tries to kill Gamora, but the pair reconcile and reach an uneasy alliance, soon discovering a cavern filled with skeletal remains. Ego brainwashes Quill and reveals that in his travels, he planted seedlings on thousands of worlds that can terraform into new extensions of himself, but only the power of two Celestials can activate them. He adds that he impregnated countless women and hired Yondu to collect their offspring but killed them all when they failed to inherit his Celestial power. When Ego admits that he gave Meredith the brain tumor that killed her, an infuriated Quill breaks out of his brainwashing and violently attacks him. Ego then parasitically draws Quill's energy to activate the seedlings, which begin to consume the worlds on which they are planted.
Rocket, Yondu, Groot, and Kraglin arrive, and together with Mantis, Drax, Nebula and Gamora, they rescue Quill. The reunited Guardians travel to Ego's brain at the planet's core, where Yondu reveals that he kept Quill to spare him from Ego. As the Sovereign's drones return and attack, Rocket makes a bomb using the stolen batteries, which Groot plants on Ego's brain. Quill uses his newfound Celestial powers to fight Ego, distracting him long enough for the other Guardians and Mantis to escape. The bomb explodes, killing Ego and disintegrating the planet, but also draining Quill of his Celestial powers. Yondu sacrifices himself to save Quill by letting himself die in the vacuum of space. Despite having reconciled with Gamora, Nebula chooses to leave and resume her quest to kill Thanos. The Guardians, with Mantis as a new member, hold a funeral for Yondu as dozens of Ravager ships arrive, having heard of Yondu's sacrifice and accept him as a Ravager again.
In a series of mid-and post-credit scenes, Kraglin takes up Yondu's telekinetic arrow and control-fin; Ogord reunites with his ex-teammates and fellow Ravager captains; Ayesha creates Adam, a new artificial being with whom she plans to destroy the Guardians;[a] and Groot grows into a teenager.[b]
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Cast
- Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord:
The half-human, half-Celestial leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy who was abducted from Earth as a child and raised by a group of alien thieves and smugglers called the Ravagers.[8][9] Pratt, who returns as part of a multi-film contract with Marvel,[10] said Quill is now famous throughout "the galaxy for having saved so many people... He feels like he's part of this group, a leader of this group. He's a little more responsible and trying to stay out of trouble, but not necessarily doing the best job."[11] Pratt stated that working on the film forced him to come to terms with the death of his own father.[12] Wyatt Oleff once again portrays a young Quill.[13] - Zoe Saldaña as Gamora:
A member of the Guardians and an orphan from an alien world who seeks redemption for her past crimes. She was trained by Thanos to be his personal assassin.[9] Saldaña described Gamora's role in the team as "the voice of reason", saying, "She's surrounded by all these dudes who are so stupid half the time,"[14] and added that she is the "Mom" of the team, saying that she is "just a meticulous, detailed, professional individual."[15] Regarding Gamora's relationship with Nebula, Saldaña described it as "volatile" and added, "we're starting somewhere very crazy but appropriate given where we had ended things off in the first installment".[16] - Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer:
A member of the Guardians and highly skilled warrior.[9] Bautista waited for the final version of the script to not take "away from the magic", which he felt had happened when he read early drafts of the first film.[17] He added that "I wasn't crazy about my part [in Vol. 2, initially]. It went a different direction than what I thought they were going to go with Drax," noting he did not "think Drax was that significant in the film". The part "clicked" for Bautista after the table read with the other cast.[18] Bautista called Drax "more funny, driven" than in the first film,[19] and having "a sense of innocence and heartbreak about him",[14] despite "most people's first perception of Drax [that] he's just a big, muscly brute".[19] Bautista's makeup took only 90 minutes to apply, down from four hours for the first film. He would have to sit in a sauna at the end of the day to get the makeup off, after his makeup test was found to be too "abrasive".[15] - Vin Diesel as Baby Groot:
A member of the Guardians who is a tree-like humanoid and the accomplice of Rocket.[20] The character began growing from a sapling at the end of the first film, with James Gunn intending for him to be fully grown by the sequel. Gunn eventually decided to keep him as "Baby Groot", which was one of the reasons the film is set only a few months after the first.[21] Gunn described Baby Groot as the son of Groot from the first film,[22] with Diesel explaining that "we're going to see this goofy, adorable, baby Groot [just] kinda learning as he goes."[23][24] Prop master Russell Bobbitt created a 1:1 scale model of the 10-inch (25 cm) Baby Groot for filming, to use as a lighting reference and sometimes as a puppet for the actors to interact with.[25] As Groot only communicates with the phrase "I am Groot" in different inflections, Gunn created a "Groot Version" of the script for himself and Diesel, which contains each of Groot's lines in English.[26] Diesel used a higher register of his voice for Baby Groot, which was pitched up by seven to nine semitones depending on the take. He also delivered lines slowly to avoid any time stretching issues.[27] Diesel recorded Groot's voice for sixteen foreign-language releases of the film (up from six in the first film).[28] Sean Gunn provided on-set reference for adolescent Groot in the post-credit sequence.[29] - Bradley Cooper as Rocket:
A member of the Guardians who is a genetically engineered raccoon-based bounty hunter, mercenary, and master of weapons and battle tactics.[9] Sean Gunn once again served as the stand-in for the character during filming,[30] with Cooper's performance also referenced.[29] Sean Gunn said that "Rocket has the same sort of crisis of faith [that he had in the first film] about whether or not he belongs in this family",[31] with James Gunn adding, "this is really about Rocket coming to terms with accepting his place within a group of people, which probably seemed like a good idea" when they were heroes together at the end of the first film, but now "he's just not very comfortable with the idea". Feige stated that the relationship between Rocket and Groot has changed, saying, "Groot was Rocket's protector in the first movie, [and now] Rocket is Groot's protector."[15] - Michael Rooker as Yondu Udonta:
A blue-skinned buccaneer of the Ravagers who is a fatherly figure to Quill and member of the Guardians. He is also the former deputy to Ayesha.[32][33] Yondu has a larger head fin in the film, to look closer to his comic counterpart,[34] and Rooker worked with the prosthetic department to add gaps to his prosthetic teeth, "just like real teeth", to aid him in whistling as the character.[35] Rooker explained that, for the sequel, Gunn "wanted people to experience more in-depth what Yondu was thinking and how he's feeling—a more serious Yondu." Rooker noted the complex relationship between Yondu and Quill where "we don't agree on things...they are constantly at each other's throats [but] Yondu truly cares about this kid."[36] Gunn was reluctant to kill Yondu in the film, but ultimately felt that "this is a story about a father's love for his son, his ultimate love, so much love that he sacrifices himself for that, and that's what Yondu is. He is 100 percent Peter Quill's father" despite Ego being Quill's biological father.[37] Before the release of Vol. 2, Rooker spent time on the set of Avengers: Infinity War (2018) to counteract rumors that the reason his character would not appear in that film was that he would die in this one.[38] - Karen Gillan as Nebula:
An adopted daughter of Thanos who was raised with Gamora as sisters and a former enemy of the Guardians.[16] Gillan stated the film would further explore the sisterly relationship between Nebula and Gamora,[39] including their backstory "and what happened to these two girls growing up and actually how awful it was for them and how it has ruined their relationship",[15] adding "we're [also] going to start to see how much pain [Thanos] actually caused [Nebula]... we really start to see the emotional crack in her character".[40] While Gillan had to shave her head for the first film, she only had to shave half of her head for the sequel, taking away the underneath part and leaving the top.[40] Gillan's makeup took two and a half hours to apply, down from five hours for the first film.[25] - Pom Klementieff as Mantis:
A mantis-like creature and member of the Guardians with empathic powers who lives with Ego.[15][41] Executive producer Jonathan Schwartz said the character "has never really experienced social interaction", and learns about "social intricacies" from the other Guardians.[42] Klementieff added, "She was really lonely and by herself, so it's a completely new thing to meet these people and to discover new things", comparing this to a child making awkward mistakes in social situations. Mantis and Drax have an "interesting" relationship in the film due to both being "complete odd balls".[15] Steve Englehart, Mantis' co-creator, was disappointed with the character's portrayal, saying, "That character has nothing to do with Mantis ... I really don't know why you would take a character who is as distinctive as Mantis is and do a completely different character and still call her Mantis."[43] - Sylvester Stallone as Stakar Ogord:
A high-ranking Ravager who holds a grudge against Yondu.[44] Stallone likened his character's relationship with Yondu to a father-son relationship, and called the confrontation they have in the film "pretty intense".[36] For Stakar's acceptance of Yondu as a Ravager at the end of the film, Gunn asked Stallone to channel the "That'll do, pig" line from the film Babe (1995).[45] Gunn described Stakar as "very important to the Marvel Universe",[46] and said that "it's our plan to see more of Stallone" in future MCU films, though he was not sure then if that would include Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023).[47] - Kurt Russell as Ego:
An ancient Celestial who is Quill's father.[34][48] Russell portrays an avatar of Ego who is more traditionally seen in the comics in his "Living Planet" form. Pratt suggested Russell for the role,[49] and Russell appreciated why he was wanted after seeing Pratt's performance in the first film, feeling, "That's my kinda guy. I know where that kind of goof comes from". He added, "I bring the right things [from previous roles]... I connected the dots from some of the things I've done in the past".[50] Pratt felt Quill would know what Kurt Russell looks like and should point out that Ego looks like Russell, but Gunn rejected the idea.[51] Ego replaces Quill's original comic book father J'son,[52] and was allowed to be used in the film after 20th Century Fox reached a deal with Marvel Studios to return Ego's film rights in exchange for changing the power set of Negasonic Teenage Warhead, whom Fox wanted to use in Deadpool (2016).[53] Gunn originally thought Marvel held the rights to Ego and stated that, had the deal with Fox not been made, there was "no back up plan, and it would [have been] nearly impossible to just drop another character in" given the extensive work done surrounding the character.[54] For the film's opening sequence, set in 1980 Missouri, Aaron Schwartz served as facial reference for the young Ego.[55][56]
Elizabeth Debicki appears as Ayesha, the golden High Priestess and the leader of the Sovereign people,[48][57][58] a genetically engineered race who are "gold and perfect and wanting to be physically and mentally impeccable". Gunn was "very specific" when writing the character, and after casting director Sarah Finn suggested Debicki, Gunn "knew right away that she was the one". Gunn highlighted the actress' beauty and 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) height. Debicki wore platform shoes to increase her height to 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m).[36] Chris Sullivan portrays Taserface, the leader of a mutinous group of the Ravagers.[48][58] Gunn originally posted a photo of the comic book character on his social media after landing Guardians of the Galaxy, calling him "the dumbest character of all time" and saying he would never feature the character in a film. After eventually deciding to use the character in the sequel, Gunn felt the character had given himself the name Taserface and is "a real dumbass".[59] Sullivan's makeup took two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half hours to apply each day.[60] Sean Gunn appears as Kraglin Obfonteri, Yondu's second-in-command in the Ravagers.[61] Kraglin has an expanded role compared to the previous film—Sean Gunn explained, "In the first film he did a lot of just saying yes and being at Yondu's side, but in this movie things take a little bit of a different turn as Kraglin has a little bit of a crisis of conscience and has to decide whether he's going to stick with Yondu or join forces with the growing faction of mutineers."[36][62]
Additionally, reprising their roles from the first film are Laura Haddock as Meredith Quill, Gregg Henry as her father Jason, Seth Green as the voice of Howard the Duck, and canine actor Fred as Cosmo.[56][63][64] Members of Yondu's Ravager crew appearing in the film include Evan Jones as Retch, Jimmy Urine as Half-Nut, Stephen Blackehart as Brahl,[58] Steve Agee as Gef,[58][65] Mike Escamilla as Scrote,[66] Joe Fria as Oblo, Terence Rosemore as Narblik,[58] and Tommy Flanagan as Tullk,[58][67][68] as well as Charred Walls of the Damned drummer and Howard Stern Show personality Richard Christy in a cameo appearance.[69] The other members of Stakar and Yondu's old team, based on the comic's original incarnation of the Guardians of the Galaxy, include Michael Rosenbaum as Martinex, Ving Rhames as Charlie-27, and Michelle Yeoh as Aleta Ogord.[47][64] Also included in the team are the CG characters Krugarr and Mainframe, with the latter voiced, in an uncredited cameo, by Miley Cyrus.[47][70] Rosenbaum had previously auditioned to play Peter Quill in Vol. 1.[71] Gunn cast Yeoh because of his love of 1990s Hong Kong films,[72] and Cyrus after admiring "the tone of her voice" while watching her as a coach on The Voice.[70] He added that the team would return in future MCU films alongside Stallone's Stakar.[47]
Stan Lee appears as an informant to the Watchers, discussing previous adventures that include his cameos in other MCU films; he specifically mentions his time as a FedEx delivery man, which connects to Lee's cameo as a FedEx delivery man in Captain America: Civil War (2016).[73] This acknowledged the fan theory that Lee may be portraying the same character in all his cameos,[74] with Gunn noting that "people thought Stan Lee is a Watcher and that all of these cameos are part of him being a Watcher. So, Stan Lee as a guy who is working for the Watchers was something that I thought was fun for the MCU."[73][74] Feige added that Lee "clearly exists, you know, above and apart from the reality of all the films. So the notion that he could be sitting there on a cosmic pit stop during the jump gate sequence in Guardians...really says, so wait a minute, he's this same character who's popped up in all these films?"[75] Lee filmed several different versions of the scene, including an alternative where he references his role in Deadpool, which would have been the first acknowledgment of the X-Men film series by an MCU film.[74] Gunn later admitted that the Civil War reference is a continuity error, given Vol. 2 is set before the events of Civil War, saying, "I screwed up; I wasn't thinking. But I'm going to say that probably Stan Lee used the guise of a FedEx guy more than one time."[73]
David Hasselhoff makes a cameo appearance as himself, when Ego shape-shifts to his likeness,[13] while Rob Zombie once again has a Ravager voice cameo.[56][76] Footage of Jeff Goldblum dancing as the Grandmaster from the set of Thor: Ragnarok (2017) is used briefly during the end credits, with Feige explaining that Marvel "thought it would be fun to put it in there" especially since the comic version of Grandmaster is the brother of the Collector, who appeared in the first Guardians film.[77] Ben Browder, the star of the series Farscape, of which Gunn is an avid fan, cameos as a Sovereign Admiral.[78] Molly Quinn appears as Howard the Duck's date.[13] Jim Gunn Sr. and Leota Gunn, parents of James and Sean Gunn, also make cameo appearances in the film as an elderly couple on Earth.[79] Jimmy Kimmel Live!'s Guillermo Rodriguez has an uncredited cameo appearance as a police officer on Earth when the seedling was terraforming.[80][81]Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a 2017 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team Guardians of the Galaxy, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and the 15th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Written and directed by James Gunn, the film stars an ensemble cast featuring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Sylvester Stallone, and Kurt Russell. In the film, the Guardians travel throughout the cosmos as they help Peter Quill (Pratt) learn more about his mysterious parentage.
The film was officially announced at the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con before the theatrical release of the first film, along with Gunn's return as writer and director from the first film, with the title of the sequel revealed a year later in June 2015. Principal photography began in February 2016 at Pinewood Atlanta Studios in Fayette County, Georgia, with many crew changes from the first film due to other commitments. Filming concluded in June 2016. Gunn chose to set the sequel shortly after the first film to explore the characters' new roles as the Guardians, and to follow the storyline of Quill's father established throughout that previous film. Russell was confirmed as Quill's father in July 2016, portraying Ego, a departure from Quill's comic father.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 premiered in Tokyo on April 10, 2017, and was released in the United States on May 5, 2017, as part of Phase Three of the MCU. It grossed more than $869 million worldwide, making it the eighth-highest-grossing film of 2017, while also outgrossing its predecessor. The film received praise for its visuals, direction, soundtrack, action sequences, humor, and performances, though some critics deemed it inferior to the original. It received a nomination for Best Visual Effects at the 90th Academy Awards. A sequel, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, was released on May 5, 2023, preceded by the Disney+ special The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special in November 2022.
Plot
In 2014, Peter Quill, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Baby Groot are renowned as the Guardians of the Galaxy. High Priestess Ayesha of the Sovereign race has the Guardians protect valuable Anulax batteries from an Abilisk, an inter-dimensional monster, in exchange for Nebula, Gamora's estranged sister, who was caught attempting to steal the batteries. After Rocket steals the batteries for himself, the Sovereign attacks the Guardians' ship with a fleet of drones. A mysterious figure destroys the drones and the Guardians crash-land on nearby planet Berhert. The figure reveals himself as Ego, Quill's father, and he introduces Mantis, his naïve empath servant. Ego invites Quill, Gamora, and Drax to his home planet, while Rocket and Groot remain behind to repair the ship and watch Nebula.
Ayesha hires Yondu Udonta and his crew, who have been exiled from the greater Ravager community by Ravager leader Stakar Ogord for child trafficking, to recapture the Guardians. They capture Rocket, but when Yondu hesitates to turn over Quill, whom he raised, his lieutenant Kraglin Obfonteri questions his objectivity, and Taserface, another lieutenant, leads a mutiny, aided by Nebula, who shoots Yondu. Taserface executes Yondu's loyalists, and imprisons him and Rocket aboard Yondu's ship. Nebula leaves to find and kill Gamora, whom she blames for the torture inflicted on her by Thanos, their adoptive father. Kraglin, who is remorseful and never signed up for a mutiny, helps Groot free Rocket and Yondu, and while escaping, the group set the ship to self-destruct using Yondu's arrow. Taserface informs the Sovereign before being killed by the explosion.
Ego, a god-like Celestial that manipulated the matter around his consciousness to form his "home" planet, explains that he projected a humanoid guise to travel the universe and discover a purpose, eventually falling in love with Quill's mother Meredith. Ego hired Yondu to collect the young Quill after Meredith's death, but the boy was never delivered, and Ego has been searching for him ever since. He teaches Quill to manipulate his inherited Celestial power, while Mantis grows close to Drax and tries to warn him of Ego's plans. Nebula arrives at Ego's planet and tries to kill Gamora, but the pair reconcile and reach an uneasy alliance, soon discovering a cavern filled with skeletal remains. Ego brainwashes Quill and reveals that in his travels, he planted seedlings on thousands of worlds that can terraform into new extensions of himself, but only the power of two Celestials can activate them. He adds that he impregnated countless women and hired Yondu to collect their offspring but killed them all when they failed to inherit his Celestial power. When Ego admits that he gave Meredith the brain tumor that killed her, an infuriated Quill breaks out of his brainwashing and violently attacks him. Ego then parasitically draws Quill's energy to activate the seedlings, which begin to consume the worlds on which they are planted.
Rocket, Yondu, Groot, and Kraglin arrive, and together with Mantis, Drax, Nebula and Gamora, they rescue Quill. The reunited Guardians travel to Ego's brain at the planet's core, where Yondu reveals that he kept Quill to spare him from Ego. As the Sovereign's drones return and attack, Rocket makes a bomb using the stolen batteries, which Groot plants on Ego's brain. Quill uses his newfound Celestial powers to fight Ego, distracting him long enough for the other Guardians and Mantis to escape. The bomb explodes, killing Ego and disintegrating the planet, but also draining Quill of his Celestial powers. Yondu sacrifices himself to save Quill by letting himself die in the vacuum of space. Despite having reconciled with Gamora, Nebula chooses to leave and resume her quest to kill Thanos. The Guardians, with Mantis as a new member, hold a funeral for Yondu as dozens of Ravager ships arrive, having heard of Yondu's sacrifice and accept him as a Ravager again.
In a series of mid-and post-credit scenes, Kraglin takes up Yondu's telekinetic arrow and control-fin; Ogord reunites with his ex-teammates and fellow Ravager captains; Ayesha creates Adam, a new artificial being with whom she plans to destroy the Guardians;[a] and Groot grows into a teenager.[b]
Cast
- Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord:
The half-human, half-Celestial leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy who was abducted from Earth as a child and raised by a group of alien thieves and smugglers called the Ravagers.[8][9] Pratt, who returns as part of a multi-film contract with Marvel,[10] said Quill is now famous throughout "the galaxy for having saved so many people... He feels like he's part of this group, a leader of this group. He's a little more responsible and trying to stay out of trouble, but not necessarily doing the best job."[11] Pratt stated that working on the film forced him to come to terms with the death of his own father.[12] Wyatt Oleff once again portrays a young Quill.[13] - Zoe Saldaña as Gamora:
A member of the Guardians and an orphan from an alien world who seeks redemption for her past crimes. She was trained by Thanos to be his personal assassin.[9] Saldaña described Gamora's role in the team as "the voice of reason", saying, "She's surrounded by all these dudes who are so stupid half the time,"[14] and added that she is the "Mom" of the team, saying that she is "just a meticulous, detailed, professional individual."[15] Regarding Gamora's relationship with Nebula, Saldaña described it as "volatile" and added, "we're starting somewhere very crazy but appropriate given where we had ended things off in the first installment".[16] - Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer:
A member of the Guardians and highly skilled warrior.[9] Bautista waited for the final version of the script to not take "away from the magic", which he felt had happened when he read early drafts of the first film.[17] He added that "I wasn't crazy about my part [in Vol. 2, initially]. It went a different direction than what I thought they were going to go with Drax," noting he did not "think Drax was that significant in the film". The part "clicked" for Bautista after the table read with the other cast.[18] Bautista called Drax "more funny, driven" than in the first film,[19] and having "a sense of innocence and heartbreak about him",[14] despite "most people's first perception of Drax [that] he's just a big, muscly brute".[19] Bautista's makeup took only 90 minutes to apply, down from four hours for the first film. He would have to sit in a sauna at the end of the day to get the makeup off, after his makeup test was found to be too "abrasive".[15] - Vin Diesel as Baby Groot:
A member of the Guardians who is a tree-like humanoid and the accomplice of Rocket.[20] The character began growing from a sapling at the end of the first film, with James Gunn intending for him to be fully grown by the sequel. Gunn eventually decided to keep him as "Baby Groot", which was one of the reasons the film is set only a few months after the first.[21] Gunn described Baby Groot as the son of Groot from the first film,[22] with Diesel explaining that "we're going to see this goofy, adorable, baby Groot [just] kinda learning as he goes."[23][24] Prop master Russell Bobbitt created a 1:1 scale model of the 10-inch (25 cm) Baby Groot for filming, to use as a lighting reference and sometimes as a puppet for the actors to interact with.[25] As Groot only communicates with the phrase "I am Groot" in different inflections, Gunn created a "Groot Version" of the script for himself and Diesel, which contains each of Groot's lines in English.[26] Diesel used a higher register of his voice for Baby Groot, which was pitched up by seven to nine semitones depending on the take. He also delivered lines slowly to avoid any time stretching issues.[27] Diesel recorded Groot's voice for sixteen foreign-language releases of the film (up from six in the first film).[28] Sean Gunn provided on-set reference for adolescent Groot in the post-credit sequence.[29] - Bradley Cooper as Rocket:
A member of the Guardians who is a genetically engineered raccoon-based bounty hunter, mercenary, and master of weapons and battle tactics.[9] Sean Gunn once again served as the stand-in for the character during filming,[30] with Cooper's performance also referenced.[29] Sean Gunn said that "Rocket has the same sort of crisis of faith [that he had in the first film] about whether or not he belongs in this family",[31] with James Gunn adding, "this is really about Rocket coming to terms with accepting his place within a group of people, which probably seemed like a good idea" when they were heroes together at the end of the first film, but now "he's just not very comfortable with the idea". Feige stated that the relationship between Rocket and Groot has changed, saying, "Groot was Rocket's protector in the first movie, [and now] Rocket is Groot's protector."[15] - Michael Rooker as Yondu Udonta:
A blue-skinned buccaneer of the Ravagers who is a fatherly figure to Quill and member of the Guardians. He is also the former deputy to Ayesha.[32][33] Yondu has a larger head fin in the film, to look closer to his comic counterpart,[34] and Rooker worked with the prosthetic department to add gaps to his prosthetic teeth, "just like real teeth", to aid him in whistling as the character.[35] Rooker explained that, for the sequel, Gunn "wanted people to experience more in-depth what Yondu was thinking and how he's feeling—a more serious Yondu." Rooker noted the complex relationship between Yondu and Quill where "we don't agree on things...they are constantly at each other's throats [but] Yondu truly cares about this kid."[36] Gunn was reluctant to kill Yondu in the film, but ultimately felt that "this is a story about a father's love for his son, his ultimate love, so much love that he sacrifices himself for that, and that's what Yondu is. He is 100 percent Peter Quill's father" despite Ego being Quill's biological father.[37] Before the release of Vol. 2, Rooker spent time on the set of Avengers: Infinity War (2018) to counteract rumors that the reason his character would not appear in that film was that he would die in this one.[38] - Karen Gillan as Nebula:
An adopted daughter of Thanos who was raised with Gamora as sisters and a former enemy of the Guardians.[16] Gillan stated the film would further explore the sisterly relationship between Nebula and Gamora,[39] including their backstory "and what happened to these two girls growing up and actually how awful it was for them and how it has ruined their relationship",[15] adding "we're [also] going to start to see how much pain [Thanos] actually caused [Nebula]... we really start to see the emotional crack in her character".[40] While Gillan had to shave her head for the first film, she only had to shave half of her head for the sequel, taking away the underneath part and leaving the top.[40] Gillan's makeup took two and a half hours to apply, down from five hours for the first film.[25] - Pom Klementieff as Mantis:
A mantis-like creature and member of the Guardians with empathic powers who lives with Ego.[15][41] Executive producer Jonathan Schwartz said the character "has never really experienced social interaction", and learns about "social intricacies" from the other Guardians.[42] Klementieff added, "She was really lonely and by herself, so it's a completely new thing to meet these people and to discover new things", comparing this to a child making awkward mistakes in social situations. Mantis and Drax have an "interesting" relationship in the film due to both being "complete odd balls".[15] Steve Englehart, Mantis' co-creator, was disappointed with the character's portrayal, saying, "That character has nothing to do with Mantis ... I really don't know why you would take a character who is as distinctive as Mantis is and do a completely different character and still call her Mantis."[43] - Sylvester Stallone as Stakar Ogord:
A high-ranking Ravager who holds a grudge against Yondu.[44] Stallone likened his character's relationship with Yondu to a father-son relationship, and called the confrontation they have in the film "pretty intense".[36] For Stakar's acceptance of Yondu as a Ravager at the end of the film, Gunn asked Stallone to channel the "That'll do, pig" line from the film Babe (1995).[45] Gunn described Stakar as "very important to the Marvel Universe",[46] and said that "it's our plan to see more of Stallone" in future MCU films, though he was not sure then if that would include Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023).[47] - Kurt Russell as Ego:
An ancient Celestial who is Quill's father.[34][48] Russell portrays an avatar of Ego who is more traditionally seen in the comics in his "Living Planet" form. Pratt suggested Russell for the role,[49] and Russell appreciated why he was wanted after seeing Pratt's performance in the first film, feeling, "That's my kinda guy. I know where that kind of goof comes from". He added, "I bring the right things [from previous roles]... I connected the dots from some of the things I've done in the past".[50] Pratt felt Quill would know what Kurt Russell looks like and should point out that Ego looks like Russell, but Gunn rejected the idea.[51] Ego replaces Quill's original comic book father J'son,[52] and was allowed to be used in the film after 20th Century Fox reached a deal with Marvel Studios to return Ego's film rights in exchange for changing the power set of Negasonic Teenage Warhead, whom Fox wanted to use in Deadpool (2016).[53] Gunn originally thought Marvel held the rights to Ego and stated that, had the deal with Fox not been made, there was "no back up plan, and it would [have been] nearly impossible to just drop another character in" given the extensive work done surrounding the character.[54] For the film's opening sequence, set in 1980 Missouri, Aaron Schwartz served as facial reference for the young Ego.[55][56]
Elizabeth Debicki appears as Ayesha, the golden High Priestess and the leader of the Sovereign people,[48][57][58] a genetically engineered race who are "gold and perfect and wanting to be physically and mentally impeccable". Gunn was "very specific" when writing the character, and after casting director Sarah Finn suggested Debicki, Gunn "knew right away that she was the one". Gunn highlighted the actress' beauty and 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) height. Debicki wore platform shoes to increase her height to 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m).[36] Chris Sullivan portrays Taserface, the leader of a mutinous group of the Ravagers.[48][58] Gunn originally posted a photo of the comic book character on his social media after landing Guardians of the Galaxy, calling him "the dumbest character of all time" and saying he would never feature the character in a film. After eventually deciding to use the character in the sequel, Gunn felt the character had given himself the name Taserface and is "a real dumbass".[59] Sullivan's makeup took two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half hours to apply each day.[60] Sean Gunn appears as Kraglin Obfonteri, Yondu's second-in-command in the Ravagers.[61] Kraglin has an expanded role compared to the previous film—Sean Gunn explained, "In the first film he did a lot of just saying yes and being at Yondu's side, but in this movie things take a little bit of a different turn as Kraglin has a little bit of a crisis of conscience and has to decide whether he's going to stick with Yondu or join forces with the growing faction of mutineers."[36][62]
Additionally, reprising their roles from the first film are Laura Haddock as Meredith Quill, Gregg Henry as her father Jason, Seth Green as the voice of Howard the Duck, and canine actor Fred as Cosmo.[56][63][64] Members of Yondu's Ravager crew appearing in the film include Evan Jones as Retch, Jimmy Urine as Half-Nut, Stephen Blackehart as Brahl,[58] Steve Agee as Gef,[58][65] Mike Escamilla as Scrote,[66] Joe Fria as Oblo, Terence Rosemore as Narblik,[58] and Tommy Flanagan as Tullk,[58][67][68] as well as Charred Walls of the Damned drummer and Howard Stern Show personality Richard Christy in a cameo appearance.[69] The other members of Stakar and Yondu's old team, based on the comic's original incarnation of the Guardians of the Galaxy, include Michael Rosenbaum as Martinex, Ving Rhames as Charlie-27, and Michelle Yeoh as Aleta Ogord.[47][64] Also included in the team are the CG characters Krugarr and Mainframe, with the latter voiced, in an uncredited cameo, by Miley Cyrus.[47][70] Rosenbaum had previously auditioned to play Peter Quill in Vol. 1.[71] Gunn cast Yeoh because of his love of 1990s Hong Kong films,[72] and Cyrus after admiring "the tone of her voice" while watching her as a coach on The Voice.[70] He added that the team would return in future MCU films alongside Stallone's Stakar.[47]
Stan Lee appears as an informant to the Watchers, discussing previous adventures that include his cameos in other MCU films; he specifically mentions his time as a FedEx delivery man, which connects to Lee's cameo as a FedEx delivery man in Captain America: Civil War (2016).[73] This acknowledged the fan theory that Lee may be portraying the same character in all his cameos,[74] with Gunn noting that "people thought Stan Lee is a Watcher and that all of these cameos are part of him being a Watcher. So, Stan Lee as a guy who is working for the Watchers was something that I thought was fun for the MCU."[73][74] Feige added that Lee "clearly exists, you know, above and apart from the reality of all the films. So the notion that he could be sitting there on a cosmic pit stop during the jump gate sequence in Guardians...really says, so wait a minute, he's this same character who's popped up in all these films?"[75] Lee filmed several different versions of the scene, including an alternative where he references his role in Deadpool, which would have been the first acknowledgment of the X-Men film series by an MCU film.[74] Gunn later admitted that the Civil War reference is a continuity error, given Vol. 2 is set before the events of Civil War, saying, "I screwed up; I wasn't thinking. But I'm going to say that probably Stan Lee used the guise of a FedEx guy more than one time."[73]
David Hasselhoff makes a cameo appearance as himself, when Ego shape-shifts to his likeness,[13] while Rob Zombie once again has a Ravager voice cameo.[56][76] Footage of Jeff Goldblum dancing as the Grandmaster from the set of Thor: Ragnarok (2017) is used briefly during the end credits, with Feige explaining that Marvel "thought it would be fun to put it in there" especially since the comic version of Grandmaster is the brother of the Collector, who appeared in the first Guardians film.[77] Ben Browder, the star of the series Farscape, of which Gunn is an avid fan, cameos as a Sovereign Admiral.[78] Molly Quinn appears as Howard the Duck's date.[13] Jim Gunn Sr. and Leota Gunn, parents of James and Sean Gunn, also make cameo appearances in the film as an elderly couple on Earth.[79] Jimmy Kimmel Live!'s Guillermo Rodriguez has an uncredited cameo appearance as a police officer on Earth when the seedling was terraforming.[80][81]
