Three New Guardians of the Galaxy Stills
Guardians of the Galaxy is my most-anticipated Hollywood film of the year. Not only does it have an amazingly talented cast (from Parks and Recreation's Chris Pratt to American Hustle's Bradley Cooper to even Fast and Furious' Vin Diesel), it also represents a new tentpole for Marvel Studios, let alone a large expansion into the under-utilized cosmic realm of the company's spectrum.
Tonight, the first official trailer for the film will debut tonight exclusively on Jimmy Kimmel Live! However, a small handful of new film stills have been released ahead of the footage debut. The images, which you can see below, showcase the Guardians' ship, a close-up of Pratt's Star Lord, and a group shot featuring the Guardians of the Galaxy themselves (Zoe Saldana's Gamora, Cooper's Rocket Raccoon, Pratt's Star Lord, Diesel's Groot, and Dave Bautista's Drax the Destroyer).
You can definitely expect to see the first trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy tomorrow. For now, enjoy these new images!
First official image of Guardians of the Galaxy
Disney rang in the new year by treating Marvel Studios fans to the first official image of Guardians of the Galaxy. The image is a line-up of the film's protagonists much like the concept art revealed over the summer. Star Lord (Chris Pratt), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), Groot (Vin Diesel), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), and Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) are front and center with the actors appearing in character for the first time. I'm not really into Pratt's weird facial expression. I like how Saldana looks as Gamora, but I'm worried that she risks being typecast as an alien action star (re: Avatar). Bautista looks almost exactly how Drax the Destroyer does, which is awesome. Groot and Rocket Raccoon haven't changed much from their concept.
Guardians of the Galaxy is one of my most anticipated films of the year and is a pretty risky move from Marvel and Disney. However, if they could turn Iron Man from a B-list character to a full-fledged AAA star, they can do the same with the Guardians. August 2014 can't come sooner. You can read the official synopsis below.
An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits — Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Peter discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand — with the galaxy’s fate in the balance.
Vin Diesel in talks to voice Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy
It's been a few weeks since movement has been made public about the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy film following its reveal at this year's San Diego Comic Con. However, as I mentioned back then, there were still two roles left unfilled/unannounced: Groot and Rocket Raccoon. It seems as if at least one of those roles has been filled as Deadline is reporting that Mr. Fast and/or Furious himself, Vin Diesel, is in talks to voice the tree-like alien.
Last month, Diesel met with Marvel about potentially joining the large stable of actors associated with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (which includes, amongst others: Robert Downey, Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman, Benicio del Toro, Zoe Saldana, Jeremy Renner, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Don Cheadle). While it would have been better for Diesel to portray a live-action character instead of voicing one, his involvement with the film, as well as Marvel Studios, overall, definitely adds an extra sense of star power to the world they're creating.
For those unaware, Groot is a somewhat indestructible, tree-like alien that, while sustaining damage, can continue living so long as a splinter from his body is saved and nurtured. His character, besides his immense size and strength, is best known for only uttering three words: "I am Groot." Just imagine a large tree alien uttering that phrase over and over with Vin Diesel's patented gravelly voice, and you'll realize just how perfect this casting may be.
[via Deadline]
Benicio del Toro cast in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
Whoa! Huge news out of the Disney and Marvel camps as Deadline is reporting that Benicio del Toro (Traffic) has been cast for Marvel's upcoming space epic, Guardians of the Galaxy. The James Gunn (Super) film is shaping up to be Marvel Studios' next big ensemble film. Just this weekend, Doctor Who actress Karen Gillan was cast for a villain role in the action-comedy about a group of space superheroes.
While there's no word on which role del Toro will portray, he's joining a pool of ridiculously talented actors, such as Glenn Close (Damages), Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation), Zoe Saldana (Avatar), John C. Reilly (Chicago), Lee Pace (The Hobbit), and others. Further news also have del Toro penning a multi-film deal, which will set him up for future film appearances along other notable Marvel stars as Robert Downey, Jr, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Natalie Portman, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Cobie Smulders (amongst others, of course).
As if Marvel didn't already have a large handle on superhero film adaptations, del Toro's casting helps cement their status. Looks like Warner Bros. and DC will have to do a lot if they want to get even close to Marvel Studio's pedigree.
[via Deadline]