At this point… what can’t Marvel do. Their latest release, Doctor Strange, is inching towards $700-million at the box office. The new trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 has become one of the most watched trailers of all time. It seems no matter what the studio puts out, fans are going to gobble it up.
Knowing they can essentially print money, they’re not going to stop churning out movies any time soon. We know there will be plenty of sequels, new characters, and new adventures, but what about the familiar faces we’ve already grown accustomed to? In particular, a certain anthropomorphic rodent and talking tree?
The stars of the latest Guardians of the Galaxy trailer were clearly Rocket and Groot. For two CGI characters, they delivered emotion and laughs that others in the MCU don’t seem capable of. Fans will be ecstatic to see these two back to their hijinks once Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hits theaters on May 5th. But what about beyond that? As Vin Diesel told Screen Junkies, we might just see the continuing adventures of Rocket and Groot beyond their time spent with The Guardians.
“I think if it’s up to James Gunn, you are going to see a Groot and Rocket movie after Infinity War. I think that’s highly possible. We shall see. I know that, somewhere in the universe, you are going to see Groot and Hulk battle. You can write it somewhere. You are going to see that poster: Hulk vs. Groot.”
Hmmm… Diesel seems pretty confident in a Hulk vs Groot showdown (perhaps something we’ll see in Infinity War), but it’s the other part that has me interested right now. Rocket and Groot are a perfect pairing and getting their own solo project would be great. But that gets one thinking: what other Guardians of the Galaxy characters would benefit from their own solo movie? In a time when spinoffs are becoming the new norm (hello Rogue One), let’s take a look at five potential Guardians of the Galaxy spinoffs.
(Sorry… no Howard the Duck… he had his chance in the ’80s!)
– The Adventures of Rocket and Groot
I mean, who else was going to kick off this list? If Vin Diesel is mentioning it, then Marvel has probably been talking about it. Should it be a prequel to the events leading into the first Guardians movie, or the dynamic duo performing their own Bonnie and Clyde side-mission, there are a plethora of ways to spin off a Rocket and Groot solo movie. I mean, even if it’s an animated movie, fans will still be enthralled — just as long as Diesel and Bradley Cooper are providing those voices. It’s a vast galaxy, so Rocket and Groot should have the opportunity to blow up most of it!
– Gamora & Nebula: Sister Assassins
Again, take your pick on when this spinoff could be set; I’d go with before Guardians of the Galaxy. So, here’s the premise: two technologically advanced killing machines created by Thanos himself. Their mission? To retrieve the Infinity Stones for him. We can see the two sisters try to one-up each other in order to impress their adoptive psychotic father.
Make this a hard “R” flick, filled with tons of alien blood, and you have yourself the intergalactic grindhouse Marvel feature you never knew you wanted. I mean, just imagine both Nebula and Gamora trying to top each other’s kill count while going after the Mind Stone. The story writes itself.
– Peter Quill: Intergalactic Playboy
There’s a period of Peter Quill’s life that’s going to need to be addressed: the space between leaving the Ravagers and coming into contact with the Orb. This has all the room for a story featuring Quill as the “James Bond of Space” as he goes from one mysterious planet to the next in the quest of some sort of treasure. Perhaps we can finally learn how he got that scar from that A’askavariian (I bet it’s from the needles for teeth!).
– Rhomann Dey & The Nova Corp
Not every spinoff needs to be about a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy. How about we get a look at the Xandar police force led by the recently promoted Rhomann Dey (played by John C. Reilly)? The story could be about how Dey needs to get his act together and lead an organized attack against the forces of Thanos who are trying to capture the Orb. Think of it as Marvel’s version of Rogue One — more of a war story, where once again Xandar is thrust into the middle of a conflict, and only Dey can lead a path towards victory.
– Drax the Destroyer
Drax loses his family to Ronan the Accuser. He sets forth on his tour of vengeance, slaughtering anything that gets in his way. Think of it as Commando, but instead of Schwarzenegger we get a tattooed, green alien with a pair of very sharp knives. Perhaps we can see the events that lead to Drax being sent to the Kyln before meeting up with the Guardians. I mean., who wouldn’t want to see a movie about Drax slaying his way across the cosmos? Just shut up and take my money already.
So, that’s my list… what about yours? Does any other Guardians character warrant a solo movie? Cosmo the Dog? Ronan the Accuser? That guy with the eyebrows from the pawn shop? Let us know in the comments section below!
