Karen Gillan

When it comes to cinematic influences, James Gunn is a bit of a sponge. His original Guardians of the Galaxy film not only drew on other films in the Marvel universe, but also from a slew of movies  —  both big and small  —  in Hollywood’s action and science-fiction history. It’s always fun to listen to Gunn talk about his film influences, which is what makes this New York Times commentary track of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 such a kick. Who else but James Gunn would drop references to Alfred Hitchcock and MAD Magazine in the same sentence?

The original Guardians of the Galaxy had a scene featuring David Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream.” But did you know that Guardians director James Gunn wanted the Starman himself, David Bowie, to make a cameo appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2? Sadly, Bowie’s health declined, and he passed away before he could film a role for the film. That’s just one of the marvelous facts featured in the latest episode of You Think You Know Movies!

One of the best parts of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, of telling stories on an epic, cross-film and even cross-franchise scale, are watching characters we think we know surprise us as they reveal hidden depths over the course of many years. A perfect example is Nebula, the daughter of the mad baddie Thanos, who is played in the MCU by Karen Gillan. Introduced in the original Guardians of the Galaxy as a ferocious underling of the alien conquerer Ronan the Accuser, Nebula upends all our expectations about her in Vol. 2, which reveals more of her tragic backstory and complicates her relationship with her sister, Gamora.

In the final scene of Guardians of the Galaxy, Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord asked Zoe Saldana’s Gamora what they should do next. “Something good, something bad?” he wonders, before settling on “a bit of both.”

The only people who still regularly play board games are adults: 30-somethings who drink craft beer, elderly people who get bored and raid the nursing home activity closet, my mom’s overly-competitive boyfriend. Some kids play them, sure — but it’s usually begrudgingly during forced “family night,” or if they come from one of those homes without TVs and where the only magazines are Highlights. There’s a reason why you can play Monopoly and Scrabble on your iPhone now, which is why it’s not surprising that the new Jumanji movie doesn’t center around a tangible board game, but a video game.

Marvel’s breakout hit Guardians of the Galaxy is all about teamwork, and putting aside a group’s differences in order to achieve something great. It would appear that the cast has taken this same philosophy to heart when promoting the film, as the latest push for viral buzz has embodied the one-for-all, all-for-one camaraderie that made the original film such a likable presence at cineplexes. Much like the assorted aliens converging from far-flung planets to battle the force of evil, the assorted stars of the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 have converged from far-flung social media platforms to battle the forces of underexposure.

FYI dudes, a new Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 trailer is premiering tomorrow night on Jimmy Kimmel Live! (that guy sure is having a good week), and even though it’s only a day and some change away, Marvel has generously offered up a short teaser for James Gunn’s highly-anticipated sequel. In addition to showing off what appears to be the space-equivalent of a campfire, the new sneak peek reveals our first look at the return of Nebula, played by Karen Gillan.

It’s a new year, which means it’s time to get hyped for the latest batch of Marvel superhero movies hitting the multiplex in the next few months. In 2017 we’re getting the Guardians of the Galaxy sequel, which will introduce us to, among others, Kurt Russell’s Ego the Living Planet, aka Star-Lord’s long-lost dad. You might know him best as a really really big glowing head in the comics, but in the movie he’ll also have a human form. Probably a little easier on the budget.

After transitioning from charming Doctor Who companion to charming movie star with roles in Guardians of the Galaxy and Oculus, Karen Gillan is moving behind the camera for her feature directorial debut. Don’t worry, she’ll also star in the upcoming project, announced as part of Mt. Hollywood Films’ inaugural five-film slate, which boasts mid-budget indie projects with a focus on female and minority-driven titles.

James Gunn has some really good ideas, but his latest might just be the best yet. While answering a fan’s question on Twitter, the Guardians of the Galaxy director suggested that there’s one character from the films who deserves their own solo spinoff movie — and no, it’s not Baby Groot (although Baby Groot’s Outer Space Adventures sounds like a pretty dope Pixar short, to be honest).