From 'First Flop?' To Fan Favourites: 10 Years Of 'Guardians of the Galaxy'!

Ten years ago, Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy made it's debut in theatres. A quirky adventure starring an unlikely gang of outer space outlaws (including a snarky raccoon and a sentient tree), reluctantly teaming up to save the galaxy from aspiring tyrant Ronan the Accuser.

Widely predicted to be the MCU's first flop, Guardians of the Galaxy was instead a surprise hit, with the characters going on to star in two sequels and a Christmas special, being featured in two Avengers films, and guest-starring in Thor: Love and Thunder.

Let's take a look back at some interesting facts from the making of the film.

'Guardians of the Galaxy' adapted a recent reboot of an obscure Marvel Comic

From the time it was first announced, Guardians of the Galaxy seemed like an odd choice for a movie adaptation. Those who did recognise the Guardians name knew it from a rather obscure comic run in 1969, featuring a group of relatively minor characters from other Marvel comics teaming up for outerspace adventures. This version featured stories scattered over various 'Marvel Presents' titles before fading into relative obscurity, aside from a brief revival in the early 90s as a failed attempt to cash in on the success of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

However, Marvel Studios were not adapting the 1969 version.

They were adapting Dan Abnett's relaunch from 2008, starring a new collection of obscure outer space heroes, such as Star-Lord, Groot, Rocket, Gamora, and Drax the Destroyer. Nicole Perlman, who wrote the first draft of Guardians of the Galaxy's script, chose this version of the team because they were the most fun, but the decision came with some difficulties.

At the time, these characters were unknown except to the most hard core comic fans, and due to the comic run being relatively recent, even fewer would recognise them as a team. There were also concerns over how characters as unusual as Groot and Rocket Raccoon would translate to screen. All these factors led to fans and analysts predicting Guardians as the MCU's first major flop.

Star-Lord was the hardest character to cast

While Guardians of the Galaxy is an ensemble film, Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord, who becomes the team's leader, is an important focal point. The character proved difficult to cast, with many notable actors testing for the part, including Joel Edgerton, Eddie Redmayne, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lee Pace, and Michael Rosenbaum.

The role eventually went to Chris Pratt, then best known for the mockumentary comedy series Parks and Recreation. Pratt was not director James Gunn's first choice, but after multiple successful screen tests, and commitment to getting in shape for the role, Pratt won Gunn over. Lee Pace was redirected to audition for, and won, the part of the film's villain, Ronan, while Michael Rosenbaum was cast as Martinex in the sequel.

Other Future MCU Stars Auditioned For Roles

A number of actors who would become future stars of the MCU auditioned for roles in Guardians of the Galaxy. The late Chadwick Boseman auditioned for the role of Drax the Destroyer, which eventually went, in an unexpected but ultima/QW.tely inspired choice, to former wrestler Dave Bautista.

Boseman, as we all know, was eventually cast as the MCU's King T'Challa, aka the Black Panther. Boseman's Black Panther co-star, Lupita Nyong'o, auditioned to play Gamora in Guardians before being cast as T'Challa's love interest, Nakia. Marvel Studios' head of casting, Sarah Halley Finn, noted in Boseman's Drax audition that he portrayed the character with a King-like air about him, therefore invited him to read for T'Challa.

This is a common occurrence for Marvel films. Tom Hiddleston originally auditioned for Thor before being asked to try for Loki, while Chris Pratt was one of many auditionees for the role of Captain America, and while not quite right for that part, Finn liked him, and remembered him when casting Star-Lord.

Karen Gillan actually shaved her head to play Nebula

Scottish actress Karen Gillan, then best known as beloved companion Amy Pond in Doctor Who, was cast as Nebula, Gamora's troubled adopted sister. A villain in the first film, Nebula later grows to become an ally of the Guardians, and finally, a Guardian herself.

Nebula, due to her various cybernetic implants, is usually portrayed as bald in the comics, and while attending the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con to promote the film, Gillan memorably revealed that she had actually shaved her head for the role, removing her wig and tossing it into the audience. It is testament to Gillan's fan favourite status that the wig, made from her own hair, returned to her unspoiled. Prosthetic developments meant she no longer had to shave for Nebula's later appearances.

Oreo, a real life Raccoon, served as a reference model for Rocket

During prouction of Guardians of the Galaxy, a real life tamed raccoon named Oreo served as a reference for Rocket Raccoon. The film's CGI artists spent a lot of time studying the raccoon, and cast members would also visit these sessions for their own reference on how Rocket might move.

Director James Gunn formed a particularly close connection with Oreo, which is somewhat fitting considering that the opportunity to tell Rocket Raccoon's story was Gunn's biggest drawcard for working on the film. Gunn even took Oreo with him to the Guardians of the Galaxy world premiere.

Sadly, Oreo passed away in 2019, but a part of him will now always live on in the beloved character he inspired.

James Gunn didn't want to include Thanos in the film

Guardians of the Galaxy was the first MCU film to feature Thanos, the ultimate big bad of what we now know as the Infinity Saga, in more than just a cameo appearance. Thanos hires Ronan to retrieve the Orb (later revealed to contain the Power Stone) for him, lending him Nebula and Gamora for this purpose.

James Gunn initially resisted the idea of Thanos appearing in the flesh, believing it benefited the MCU as a whole, but not Guardians of the Galaxy as a standalone film, and feared the Mad Titan's presence would overshadow Ronan. A compromise was reached by allowing Gunn to have Ronan kill Thanos's mysterious attendant, The Other, thus reaffirming Ronan as a threat in his own right.

'Guardians of the Galaxy' is the first MCU film to fully explain the Infinity Stones

Due to it's taking place almost entirely in outer space, Guardians of the Galaxy is more standalone than any MCU entry before it, with few connections to the wider Marvel World.. except, of course, for one vital scene. When the newly formed Guardians team deliver the Orb to Gamora's buyer, The Collector, he reveals the Power Stone inside it, before going on to explain the story behind the six Infinity Stones, and the power they hold.

The Orb is not the first object containing an Infinity Stone to appear in the MCU. The Tesseract and Sceptre containing the Space and Mind Stones appeared in The Avengers, and the Aether, which housed the Reality Stone, appeared in Thor: The Dark World, with Thor briefly confirming it's status as an Infinity Stone. However, Guardians of the Galaxy is the first MCU film to reveal all six stones, as well as explain what the Infinity Stones are and why they are important.

Including a scene with such relevance to the MCU's overall narrative was a vote of confidence from the studio, proving their belief in a film that so many doubted. That belief was not misplaced, as now Guardians of the Galaxy is not only one of the most popular MCU films, but a classic of the sci-fi genre.

Happy Tenth Anniversary, Guardians!