Tag: Guardians of the Galaxy

  • ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 3’ Breaks Marvel’s Box Office Curse

    ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 3’ Breaks Marvel’s Box Office Curse

    If there was one thing Marvel Studios’ releases were reliable on, it was just how frontloaded most of their projects are. Commonly, the films post-COVID have dropped at least around 55% at the box office but it started to get harsher and harsher as time went on. Even Spider-Man: No Way Home dropped around 68% after a massive opening. No matter if a B or A CinemaScore, it seemed like most of these projects are facing around 65% drops at least.

    Finally, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has broken that very course with an impressive hold over its second weekend. The film has pulled in $60.5M in its second weekend, which marks its best second-weekend hold since the pandemic started at 49%. While earlier most suspected around 55%, this marks the film only $5M off from the previous entry and could actually mark a much stronger run moving forward. It’s even $1.7M off from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which had Marvel Studios’ best post-covid opening so far.

    What makes this so significant is that it’s even lower than Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings‘ 54% drop, which was the last before the films started dropping more and more. It also marks a turning point from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s drop at around 70% earlier this year; a film that seemingly ran out of steam after a record-breaking opening for the trilogy. In a way, it further highlights that this is less a superhero fatigue but rather a more selective audience due to quick accessibility via streaming.

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever had a similar A CinemaScore to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 but still faced a 62.9% drop. The film still managed to make around $854M at the box office after a powerful $181M opening weekend. Guardians 3 had a weaker softer opening but is set to leg out, which is far more important for Marvel Studios at the moment. If they faced Quantumania developments moving forward, we could discuss fatigue being a key factor at play.

    While some will point to this being the last hurrah by James Gunn and a much better showcase of DC Studios’ future, it also marks a turning point for Marvel moving forward. If The Marvels doesn’t capitalize on this development and they can continue back to building A CinemaScores with their offerings, they may see a much more positive development once again. While it’s hard to say where the film will land, it already passed $528M worldwide and has a chance of breaking the $900M mark. The power of its word-of-mouth will push it forward.

    Source: Deadline, Twitter, BoxOffice Pro

  • ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Introduces [SPOILER] into the MCU

    ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Introduces [SPOILER] into the MCU

    If you continue reading only do so at your own risk as some major story elements will be discussed in this article.

    At the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, we meet a new group of Guardians that are all under the leadership of Rocket Raccoon. After facing his experiences and past with the High Evolutionary, he embraces who he is and also takes over from Star-Lord, who has returned to Earth and spent some time with the family he believed he had lost all the way back in the first Guardians of the Galaxy film.

    Among the members of this team are some familiar faces with an even bigger Groot, Kraglin, and Cosmo. Though, there are two new members with Adam Warlock joining after his encounter with the team throughout the third film. The biggest reveal is the inclusion of a small girl that was among the group of High Evolutionary’s next creations.

    Surprisingly, the film doesn’t really say her name but subtitles reveal that she is, in fact, Phyla-Vell. It’s quite a departure from her comic origins, as she was the daughter of the original Captain Marvel and an Eternal. To be fair, she wasn’t conceived in a normal matter but rather the Eternal Elysius took some of his matter after he died from cancer and impregnated herself.

    The first person born from this unusual creation was Genis-Vell, who would take on the Captain Marvel mantel. Though, after he lost his mind and created a new universe, Elysius redid the process and gave birth to Phyla-Vell and would also take over the title of Captain Marvel. She would eventually take on the mantle of Quasar when she joins the Guardians of the Galaxy in the comic event Annihilation.

    So, the version we are introduced to here is quite a bit different. She’s part of a race created by the High Evolutionary as the “perfect lifeform” that he was going to use to re-populate a new planet. She doesn’t have any connections to Annette Benning’s Mar-Vell but there’s a chance her DNA could’ve played a role in this character’s creation. It’s also unclear if she has the powers from the comics, as there’s no mention of it.

    Phyla seemingly has endless stamina when compared to a normal human and she is part of a bigger group of children that have the same origin. Also, there’s some uncertainty if the Guardians will actually return in the future given how the film simply states that Star-Lord will return. Rocket’s new group may as well do their thing in the galaxy but we don’t see them anytime in the near future.

    It’s a shame if this is our introduction to such an important cosmic character alongside Adam Warlock, but we’ll have to wait a bit until we find out what exactly the future has in store. Given that her race is genetically created, there’s a good chance that she will grow into adulthood just as fast as Adam did. They might have a sibling-like rivalry that would be a fun dynamic if we see more of them moving forward. For now, it’s a great little Easter egg for comic fans knowing the character now exists in the universe.

  • ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 3’ Dances Up a $114M Opening Weekend, Dominates Internationally

    ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 3’ Dances Up a $114M Opening Weekend, Dominates Internationally

    It looks like Marvel Studios is facing a rather curious development with the latest installment of its Marvel Cinematic Universe. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is expected to end the weekend with around $114M domestically, which is slightly higher than the predictions going into the weekend and lands it a bit below the hoped-for $120M by Disney. Though that should not be a mark of end times, as its biggest challenge lies ahead with the second weekend.

    Still, as pointed out by movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research David A. Grossfor superheroes, average is in the stratosphere” with Marvel Studios opening above $100M even with some believing a tepid response after Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The film did open below Vol. 2’s powerful $146M but ahead of the first’s overall box office. There’s also a chance that the waiting period for this loosely tied Marvel film ending a trilogy after six years just lost a bit of its momentum alongside an overall tepid year besides the surprise Super Mario Bros. Movie.

    Speaking of, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 did manage to dethrone the plumber from his throne to a still impressive second spot with $18.6M. Sony’s romantic comedy Love Again, however, didn’t bring in enough momentum with a B CinemaScore, 13% on RottenTomatoes at a rather tiny $2.4M opening weekend. The film only costs $9M but it still would require some momentum to recuperate its costs. Evil Dead Rise has been pulling quite some numbers as well, as it already stands at $110M globally which is quite bloody great for a $15M budgeted film. Horror still remains the low-budget, high-earners they’ve always been.

    It should be noted that while the domestic box office is a bit behind, globally the Guardians 3 film is doing some impressive numbers. It opened to $168M in 52 markets and now stands at $282M. China has generally been quite behind with any Hollywood production (which means comparisons to previous box office records also need to be kept in mind) but had an actually strong $28M start and very strong word-of-mouth.

    That’s kind of what Marvel Studios’ biggest hope should be. A soft opening is one thing but given Ant-Man 3 didn’t manage to pass $500M. Still, pulling in $465M is something many others still dream of as other big releases like Shazam: Fury of the Gods, and sadly Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves barely made their production budget back. Maybe it’s time to talk less about superhero fatigue and rather about blockbuster fatigue.

    Overall, Marvel’s latest still beat its global expectations with the uncertainty in the Asian market since last year, as China and Korea have kind of backed off especially as Marvel embraced science-fiction with its latest projects; something not too keen in those markets. The film is 70% ahead of the first and pretty much on par with Vol. 2. If you take out China it’s even ahead by 13%, which highlights the difficulties of post-COVID box office discussions.

    It’s crazy to think that a “tepid” box office opening for a Guardians of the Galaxy film is still the 50th highest opening globally of all time. Hell, it’s also the 18th title to do so in May. This does mark the lowest summer opening in some time but Deadline points out that this is actually a more realistic showcase of Guardians‘ box office prowess and Vol. 2 simply had a bit more momentum going into it with appearances in other Marvel movies. Perhaps the lesson is to once again tease future releases rather than an unknown future on the horizon for Marvel.

    Ant-Man was also quite inflated with the arrival of Kang the Conqueror which also gave it a much bigger opening than it probably would’ve had outside of the last two releasing post-Avengers films carrying over that momentum. Guardians didn’t introduce anything new and as a trilogy “ender” it’s also going to speak to its core audience more than newcomers. Overall though, the summer is looking at a $100M average opening so this might not just be Marvel but rather a showcase of so many films releasing after a long time, people might be more selective. All Guardians 3 needs now are strong legs and to beat what has happened to the franchise post Avengers: Endgame to make its $250M budget profitable.

    Source: Variety, Deadline

  • [SPOILER] Will Return Beyond ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

    [SPOILER] Will Return Beyond ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

    The following article major spoilers for the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Only continue at your own risk if you haven’t watched the film yet.

    Going into Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, many wondered if any of the former members would continue their journey in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Some actors like Zoe Saldana and Dave Bautista have openly talked bout leaving their characters behind, which also led to the theory that most of them would die off as a result of the film’s events. Luckily, now that the film has been released we know what exactly the future looks like for this unlikely team of misfits.

    In a surprising twist, none of the core members died during the events of this film. While it would be the usual approach for films to end a character’s storyline by killing them off, this time they took a Captain America route by simply letting them go their own way. It also slightly opens the window for a return if they’d ever be open to doing so in the future. Given that the multiverse is around the corner, they have a way to bring back these characters with a new cast.

    Still, there is some confusion with the first post-credit sequence revealing Rocket’s new team of Guardians. We meet a new character in the form of Phyla-Vell a young child that was going to be part of High Evolutionary’s next step of creating the perfect being. Cosmo and Adam Warlock officially join the team, who are newly introduced to the franchise and seemingly characters set to return.

    The question is mostly if the same is going to affect Rocket, as Bradley Cooper has seemingly hinted this might be his last run with the character. They could find a new voice for the character and likely there won’t be a new Guardians film for some time but it seems a bit confusing. There’s a chance this is simply saying these characters still exist out there in the galaxy and keep the door open, but it would be odd not to bring back at least some of the newer additions.

    The big reveal, however, is the fact that the one confirmed returning member of the Guardians will be Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord. Even though he hung up the Elemental Blasters and returned to spend time with his grandfather. In the second post-credit, we see him just enjoying cereal before the title “The Legendary Star-Lord Will Return” appears on the screen. So, we will very likely see him at some point in the future, and is, so far, the only confirmed returning member of the cast.

    Not everyone truly hung up their mantle, and the ending definitely keeps the door open if anyone is down to potentially try their hands at the character again. It was a fitting end for this version of the team and here’s hoping that we still have some more time with Rocket, Nebula, Groot, and Mantis alongside Star-lord in the Marvel Cinematic Universe moving forward.

    Source: Cool943

  • ‘Superman Legacy’ to Feature Someone from ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’s Cast

    ‘Superman Legacy’ to Feature Someone from ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’s Cast

    James Gunn has always had a knack for keeping secrets on his various projects and outright even denying any claims made that he can easily debunk. As the new CEO of DC Studios, it creates an opportunity. Yet, in a short AMA on Twitter, he has given some the opportunity to ask a question he’ll answer with yes or no. While most focused on his latest release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 given he restricted it to that topic, someone asked if any of the cast members might appear in his next DC project.

    Surprisingly, Gunn actually did confirm that “Yes.” someone from the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise will appear in Superman Legacy. Of course, he hasn’t exactly said who it will be and what kind of role they’ll have, but it’s great to know that some of his usual faces will return one way or another. We already saw them in The Suicide Squad, where his brother Sean Gunn played the role of Weasel and will continue to do so in Creature Commando.

    Though, there’s also a good chance that he will include some of his usual cast members in one form or another. Nathan Fillion has appeared in all three Guardians films in a cameo or small role. He loves casting his close friend Michael Rooker in roles, who is also very likely to potentially appear. At the end of the day, we could also just see his brother Sean Gunn have some kind of role in bringing another CG creation to life. There’s ag good list of “definitely back” actors that would be listed that would fit the bill.

    Source: Twitter

  • James Gunn Reveals Pete Davidson’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Cameo

    James Gunn Reveals Pete Davidson’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Cameo

    There’s a long tradition of big names taking on tiny roles in Star Wars films, such as playing a Stormtrooper. Tom Hardy and even James Bond actor Daniel Craig famously took on the tiny roles, but it seems this tradition is also carried over into the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. Director James Gunn is no stranger to casting friends in his various projects, such as the surprise reveal that Pete Davidson, who appeared in his previous film The Suicide Squad, seemingly had a minor role in the film.

    As part of Twitter Movies’ promotion of the film, there’s a picture of Gunn with one of the film’s leads Chris Pratt alongside Pete Davidson. It seems he just had a chance to film this tiny cameo and going by what he is wearing, he is one of the soldiers who works for the High Evolutionary that was present in the scene when those two confront each other as showcased in the various trailers.

    Considering Guardians of the Galaxy is seen as the “Star Wars” of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this kind of cameo is a fitting addition to the franchise and it’s also funny to think that this is the SNL actor’s first major appearance in the franchise. While it’s unclear if he has any hopes to join in a bigger role later down the line, it’s funny to know that he was already apart of it and we may have had no idea if it wasn’t for this picture.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 3’ En Route to $110M+ Opening Weekend

    ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 3’ En Route to $110M+ Opening Weekend

    It looks like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has pulled in a strong $48.2M on Friday including its Thursday previews. That would currently put it on a path to making around $110M over the weekend, which is currently on the low end of expectations but it’s unclear how word-of-mouth might affect its Saturday and Sunday gross. This has been adding to some concern of superhero fatigue but it does have a strong A CinemaScore and strong PostTrak showcasing a potential long-run at the box office that may push against the recent developments.

    Deadline has pointed out that while CinemaCon snarked about superhero fatigue (ironically given The Flash was the “highlight” showcased by Warner Bros.), the film is Marvel’s eleventh time topping $100M in May, which is still something no other brand can really compare to at the moment. The film also remains quite male-dominated at 62%, whose positive reaction could keep it going for weeks until Fast X releases in June. The question remains if positive word-of-mouth and a strong hold for a few weeks could actually help push The Marvels later in the year rather than continue a downward trend (or perhaps it’s less a genre fatigue but more a reflection of its marketing as well).

    As of now, it’s new for a Marvel Cinematic Universe sequel to be behind previous entries but also not entirely something new. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Avengers: Age of Ultron was behind the previous entry and could also hint at Vol. 2 getting quite a big boost from releasing in 2017 during the Phase 3 boom after momentum built out of Captain America: Civil War. As of now, the film will likely open slightly ahead of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania which had a powerful opening but lost momentum quickly highlighting the film’s okay word-of-mouth and the Disney+ release strategy from previous years showing its fangs.

    Still, the film is continuing the trend of Marvel opening beyond $100M which isn’t a terrible thing to showcase. There was tracking towards $130M and if momentum suddenly spikes going into its Saturday, there’s a chance but things are a bit calmer for now. What should be noted is that the film has a much stronger international box office at around $71.5M, which would put it at $119.7M worldwide as of Friday.

    There’s a lot that can be said about recent developments, as 2022 still looked strong for Marvel Studios but this year had some surprise hits. The four-quadrant market has been quite focused on Super Mario Bros. Movie by pushing that beyond a billion making up for the missing families in theaters the last few years. That film is finally dethroned but still drops to a strong $18.5M while new release Love Again is dead on arrival with a $2.6M opening weekend.

    There is a good chance that the current development simply reflects a stuffed Summer market and it’s uncertain if other projects won’t face similar developments. With that many films on the horizon and a recession still at play, people might just be a bit pickier this year as seen in the first few months as well. Only a select few managed to hold with a strong male-driven audience but outside of Mario, nothing is really breaking records. What is playing in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3‘s favor is that the international market is seemingly doing quite a bit better now.

    It’s currently still projected for a $260M+ global opening, which is higher than the initially expected worldwide gross for the film. Social is pushing the film quite a bit, especially in Korea which has been a rather rough market as of late. Ironically, if Guardians mends any expectations with Marvel releases, they could be balancing out the domestic slowdown that has occurred this year. While some want to blame Ant-Man 3 for this current development, the Guardians are still some of the more obscure characters in the franchise that haven’t had a new entry since 2017.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Twitter, Deadline, Deadline

  • REVIEW: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Reminds Us Why We Love the MCU

    REVIEW: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Reminds Us Why We Love the MCU

    With an Awesome Mix of humor, heart, action, drama, and off-the-wall imagination, James Gunn delivers the long-awaited conclusion to the cosmic trilogy that reminded us that We Are Groot. And like the familiar tree guy, this franchise has branched in unpredictable yet fascinating ways but has always remained rooted in themes of found family, redemption, and reinvention.

    In this third film, Gunn feels particularly confident and audacious as a filmmaker, pushing forward with a propulsive plot that knows when to release the tension with comedy and quirky character beats, as well as when to shift gears from heart-wrenching drama to awesome action and sci-fi space opera. There are some really fun set pieces and sequences, and only a couple of instances where things get a little too messy and chaotic. But overall, it’s a thrill ride visually.

    Much like he did in the first two entries, Gunn deftly employs his signature needle drops to guide us through the varying emotional beats and tonal shifts. In the center of the story is Rocket’s journey from raccoon to rogue, as we learn his origin, and that of his first found family of misfits, through a series of flashbacks. The film invites us to peer behind his tragic eyes, and from his perspective, we experience the longing, love, and loss that coalesces into regret, before finally coming to understand that Rocket’s emotional scars truly are as lasting as his physical ones. It is within these flashbacks that we also meet The High Evolutionary, a villain with the kind of god complex his name would suggest, and the capacity to make Rocket’s old wounds fresh.

    If you’re familiar with the comics, then you have a pretty good idea of what The High Evolutionary’s goals are, what lengths he’s willing to go through to achieve them, and just how many people he’s willing to kill or make suffer along the way (Hint: It’s all of them). And Chukwudi Iwuji performs the role to a T, knowing when to strike the notes of cold calculation, when to soften, and when to unleash his wrath. He’s not really an antagonist you root for in any fashion, and the movie never lets him off the hook, so by the time the bill comes due, the catharsis is earned.

    Chukwudi Iwuji as The High Evolutionary in Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 MARVEL.

    Accompanying this main Rocket-centric story is the Peter Quill story, where he can’t get over the fact that Gamora 2, pulled from the timeline in Avengers: Endgame, missed all of the Phase 3 films, and he just can’t bring her up to speed on what she missed. Both Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldaña do a great job here, Zoe in particular. In a lot of ways she represents the viewer who doesn’t “get” the Guardians and what makes them special, but like the viewer, despite herself, she too is eventually moved by the adventure and finds her own groove to jam to.

    But all the Guardians have got moves. Mantis remains the most empathetic and intuitive, and Pom Klementieff‘s comedic chemistry with Dave Bautista‘s Drax remains as satisfying as it was in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. The juxtaposition between her emotional openness and Nebula’s cold precision and bluntness provides a different kind of energy, as their dramatic tension helps to balance the hijinks. Even newcomer Cosmo (voiced by Maria Bakalova) and the perennially underrated Kraglin (played by Sean Gunn) get their moments to shine. The family continues to grow, and though they may bicker, when it’s showtime, they find their harmony.

    Another newcomer to the Guardians story is Adam Warlock, played with flourish by Will Poulter as an ultra-powerful yet childlike being, who wants to impress his Sovereign mother figure (the returning Elizabeth Debicki), but whose hot temper constantly gets the best of him. Hardcore comic fans might find him confounding when compared to the cosmic near deity from the page, but the story leaves him with more than enough room to evolve. Keeping with the theme, after all.

    (L-R): Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Dave Bautista as Drax, Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel), Karen Gillan as Nebula, and Pom Klementieff as Mantis in Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 MARVEL.

    What sets this trilogy apart from the other Marvel Cinematic Universe trilogies is that across the three films, the stories really do come full circle. Our heroes acknowledge the painful pasts that forged them, but they each stop being defined by them, and their arcs conclude with them finally being able to define themselves. And their Guardians compatriots, that aforementioned found family, grow to love and accept them, regardless of their respective flaws and scars. It’s a feel-good tale with a hopeful message, and by the end, you’re rocking out, from Knowhere to wherever the Guardians story travels next.

    Thus far, Phases 4 and 5 of the MCU have been polarizing, with very few projects leaving us with the “rah-rah” feeling that makes us want to sing its praises and go back for encores. But Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 reminds us why we love these movies and reminds us of way back when, we were first Hooked On A Feeling.

    9.75/10

  • Zoe Saldaña Calls ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ “The End for Gamora”

    Zoe Saldaña Calls ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ “The End for Gamora”

    Reactions to advance screenings of Marvel Studios Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 have called the threequel heartbreaking and emotional and that has fans of the franchise nervous as the film’s wide release approaches. Before the film”/’s teaser trailer debuted, fans were already abuzz about which Guardians might meet their ends in Vol. 3 and that teaser (a d subsequent marketing) has only amplified that feeling. While fans continue to place their bets about whifh beloved character won’t make it out alive, one of the film’s stars just threw a little gas on the fire.

    Promotional material for the film has made it seem like several of the film’s lead characters (most prominently Star-Lord, Rocketband Drax) will be facing their ultimate fate in the film. Dave Bautista, now making his seventh appearance as the dense Drax, has made it clear that his time as the character is through and now his sentiment has been echoed by another of the film’s stars: Zoe Saldaña.

    In an interview with THR, Saldaña, whose Gamora has already died once in the MCU, made it clear that while the Guardians will live on, Gamora will not be part of their future.

    I don’t think this is the end for the Guardians. It is the end for me, for Gamora.

    Zoe Saldaña

    As Gunn has said and THR’s report reiterated, there are more adventures in store for the Guardians of the Galaxy, just not these Guardians of the Galaxy. And will Saldaña joining Bautista in moving on from the franchise, perhaps the makeup of the new team starts to become a little clearer even before audiences see the film.

    Stars Chris Pratt and Pom Klementieff, who play the brother/sister duo of Star-Lord and Mantis, respectively, have been less direct about their futures with Marvel Studios. Will Poulter‘s Adam Warlock, who serves as an antagonist in Vol. 3, has a comic book history with the Guardians and his casting has always seemed like one with the future in mind. Groot is almost unkillable and his partnership with Rocket is one of Marvel’s most beloved ongoing relationships. Certainly there’s a team in that mix somewhere, even if it doesn’t involve all of them. However, Saldaña, it seems, won’t be part of whatever new adventures are in store.

    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 debuts in theaters on May 5th.

    Source: THR

  • Voice Cast for Rocket’s Friends in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 3’ Revealed

    Voice Cast for Rocket’s Friends in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 3’ Revealed

    We’ve known for some time that a big part of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 would likely explore the origins of Rocket. The character was a major part of the franchise’s emotional core and James Gunn openly discussed that he centered a lot around that character from his own personal experiences. With the third Guardians entry being his last before he continues to focus on DC Studios’ future, it seems almost fitting to use this chance to explore that character’s true emotional background.

    In a new piece of footage, we get a new look at the characters that grew up alongside Rocket into becoming more humanoid under The Evolutionary’s watchful eye. Linda Cardellini has been confirmed to play Lylla the Otter, who is Rocket’s main love interest. Asim Chaudhry is taking on the role of Teefs the Walrus while Mikaela Hoover is Floor the Rabbit. Gunn shared the following on what makes these characters stand out in the film:

    They’re best friends… and I think it’s a really beautiful scene with them… where they talk about going outside into the sky, in the world, which they’ve never experienced.

    James Gunn

    Of course, the big surprise for many is likely that Cardellini is set to take on the role of Lylla after having played a major part in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since Avengers: Age of Ultron as Laura Barton, the wife of Clint Barton and a former SHIELD agent as teased in the Hawkeye Disney+ series. Though, it’s not the only time this has happened and not even the first time this year, as David Dastmalchian also took on a new voice role in the recently released Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

    Source: Collider