Skip to main content

New trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy packs in more Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot

guardians of the galaxy
Disney

With just over a month until Guardians of the Galaxy arrives in theaters, it’s clear that the characters everyone is most looking forward to seeing in the film are Rocket Raccoon and Groot, the digitally-created members of the team voiced by Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel, respectively.

The latest trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy seems to acknowledge the two characters’ growing fanbases by giving them each quite a bit more footage — especially the team’s heavy-weapons expert, Rocket Raccoon. Not only do we get some clever back-and-forth between Rocket and Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), but we also get yet another “I am Groot” from Rocket’s sentient tree pal, Groot. (In the comics, everything Groot says comes out as “I am Groot,” which can mean pretty much anything and is only understood by Rocket and a few other characters.)

Recommended Videos

We also get a bit of the backstory for Peter “Star-Lord” Quill in the preview, with Pratt narrating the opening of the footage.

“I was only a kid when I left Earth,” he says. “I had no idea what the universe had in store for me.”

Oh, and make sure you watch ’til the very end of the trailer for a particularly funny, additional scene.

 Guardians of the Galaxy hits theaters August 1.

Topics
Rick Marshall
A veteran journalist with more than two decades of experience covering local and national news, arts and entertainment, and…
Forget Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3; the 2021 video game is better
The Guardians are captured in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy.

Like many others this past weekend, I watched Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, After being burned by Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, I was a bit hesitant to see the movie. With its Phase 5 movies and TV shows, Marvel has been dropping the ball in terms of delivering a satisfying time for its longtime fans. Even the good stuff, like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, was depressing, acting more as a somber tribute above all else. So it was with a sigh of relief, and a bit of a surprise, that when Vol. 3 ended, I thought of two things: 1) the movie was good and 2) the 2021 video game was better.

This article isn't to trash Vol. 3, which, at least to me, is one of the most satisfying Marvel movies in the uneven post-Endgame era. Yet as good as the movie is, I couldn't help but be reminded about its video game cousin, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, and just how better it is at combing pitch-perfect characterization, a compelling plot, enthralling action sequences, and a kickass soundtrack to create an experience that is uniquely Guardians of the Galaxy. Hell, I'd go far as to claim that it is more true to the spirit of the original Guardians film than any of its sequels were. Here are five reasons why the video game is better and more fun than the movie.

Read more
Is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 the best James Gunn movie ever?
The cast of "Guardians of the Galaxy" walking toward the camera.

James Gunn's career in cinema began in 1997 when he wrote the low-budget Troma Studios film Tromeo and Juliet. His subsequent movie scripts included a lesser-known superhero flick, The Specials, two live-action Scooby-Doo movies, and a remake of Dawn of the Dead. In 2006, Gunn was finally given a chance to direct his first movie, Slither, before making his mark on Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy eight years later.

Late last year, Gunn was named co-CEO of DC Studios, and he is slated to direct Superman: Legacy. That's why Gunn's newest film, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, is his final Marvel Studios movie. It's also the perfect occasion to look back at Gunn's filmography to date and list them in descending order based on their Rotten Tomatoes rankings.
6. Super (2010)

Read more
Who dies at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?
Nebula carries Star-Lord's limp body in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

It's the end of an era. Nearly a decade ago, Guardians of the Galaxy changed the MCU forever and introduced the world to a band of a-holes who, over the course of several movies, grew into a family. Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Groot, Mantis, and Nebula have become sentimental favorites to MCU fans and helped usher in the cosmic side of Marvel that is the dominant playground for Phase 5.

When things come to an end, however, that usually means someone bites the big one. And certainly, in the press and trailers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, there's a strong indication that death will visit one or more of our beloved Guardians. Zoe Saldana has openly spoken about being done with playing Gamora, one of the MCU's best female characters, after this movie; ditto Dave Bautista with Drax. And one of the key promo images for the movie has Nebula carrying Star-Lord's limp body. Did I also mention one of the key plot points involves Rocket being mortally wounded?

Read more