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Say it with us now: “I am Groot.”
Chris Pratt made a special appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Tuesday to debut the trailer for Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. The film premieres May 5 in 3D and IMAX 3D.
Posing as an audience member, Pratt talked to host Jimmy Kimmel, who pretended he had never heard of the franchise. “I play a character called Peter Quill. He’s also known as Star-Lord. There’s a hot green alien. We save the universe. There’s a raccoon who has a machine gun, talks a lot of smack,” he said. “There’s a sentient tree who only knows how to say his own name…”
“Are you on drugs or something?” Kimmel asked.
“No, I’m not. It’s a really good movie,” Pratt insisted. “I think people are going to like it.”
“This is the trailer for—what’s it called?” Kimmel asked. “Garble Galaxy?”
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” Pratt replied. “Here it is,” Kimmel said. “What he said.”
The trailer opened with the heroes facing a toothy, tentacled monster. Things somehow managed to get worse when the Guardians met Ayesha, the golden High Priestess and the leader of the Sovereign people. She wants to “cleanse the universe” of its weaknesses (betrayal, fear and jealousy), and the Guardians won’t stand for that. “So, we’re saving the galaxy again? Awesome!” Rocket Raccoon said. “We’re really going to be able to jack up our prices if we’re two-time galaxy savers.” The trailer ended with Star-Lord finally coming face-to-face with his father. (Gasp!)
And, of course, there were lots of cute Baby Groot moments.
The preview was set to Fleetwood Mac‘s “The Chain,” presumably from Star-Lord’s mixtape.
Beginning in October 2016, director James Gunn has published several videos relating to the sequel on his personal YouTube channel: a “Sneak Peek,” a “Teaser,” a “Super Bowl Spot” and a “‘Soup’ Trailer Announcement” (released Monday). The footage that aired on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Tuesday is apparently what he considers the first full-length “trailer” for the Marvel film.
Monday’s clip premiered on social media, featuring Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), Groot (Vin Diesel), Nebula (Karen Gillan) Star-Lord (Pratt) and Gamora (Zoe Saldana) sitting around a campfire. Only four words were spoken, two of which were “what,” and many glances were exchanged as Drax the Destroyer loudly slurped his soup.
After the clip’s release, Gunn took to Facebook to clear up any confusion. “It’s not a trailer of a trailer,” he said. “It’s unique footage in neither the movie or the trailer announcing the trailer.”
The director has also cleared up other rumors regarding the sequel and its expanding cast of characters. The recent New York Toy Fair showcased new action figures, such as Adam Warlock and Darkhawk, that were launched alongside a Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 line. Many fans assumed those characters will pop up alongside newcomers Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Ego (Kurt Russell) and Taserface (Chris Sullivan). But, as Gunn explained in a Facebook Live Q&A, “All you need to do is look at the packaging, you guys. On the packing cover, it says Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 on the figures that are from the movie. It doesn’t say Vol. 2 on the other figures. So, that should tell you what’s from the movie and what’s not.”
Rest assured, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 still has plenty of star power.
Glenn Close and Michael Rooker are reprising their roles as Irani Rael and Yondu Udonta, respectively, while Sylvester Stallone is joining the ensemble as a member of the Nova Corps.
Gunn also shared a new movie poster on Twitter Tuesday, just “because we love you.”
Shortly after the trailer premiered, he tweeted, “I’m incredibly appreciative to the fine folks in marketing for working so hard to give you all the film’s flavor while giving away so little.”
Guardians of the Galaxy, released in 2014, has earned $773.3 million worldwide.
Will you see the superhero movie when it hits theaters May 5? Sound off in the comments.
