Need a nova primer of the crew who’s freighting you off to cosmic blockbuster hijinks this summer? Then read on for our Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 character guide!
Peter Quill / Star-Lord – Chris Pratt
As a boy, Quill was abducted from Earth by aliens after his mother died. Those aliens were the Ravagers, a ragtag group of galactic thieves and mercenaries that took the boy in instead of delivering him to his father, as per their contract. Taking on the name Star-Lord, Quill grew up to be almost as much of a scoundrel as the pirates that raised him, but he ultimately convinced the rest of the Guardians to take on Ronan, saving countless lives in the process. Fresh from that achievement, now he’s trying to be a good leader, but it’s going to be a challenge just to keep the team together.
Gamora – Zoe Saldana
She was raised to be an assassin by her father, the villainous Thanos, and she’s been called “the most dangerous woman in the galaxy.” She’s good with a blade, but she’ll do just fine with her bare hands, too. Gamora is trying to leave her dark past behind, and brings a level of professionalism — or even just competence — to the Guardians. In an interview with USA Today, actress Zoe Saldana described her as “the voice of reason” for the team, adding, “She’s surrounded by all these dudes who are so stupid half the time.”
Drax – Dave Bautista
Drax is as tough as they come, and is still out to avenge the death of his family. He and Star-lord killed Ronan the Accuser, the man that actually killed Drax’s family, but he’s still after Thanos, who gave Ronan the order. Drax has grown a bit closer to the rest of the Guardians, even though his complete lack of refinement or any sort of tact would get him punched in the face if he wasn’t so huge. He means well, but manners and metaphors just aren’t his bag. And as Drax would tell you, he doesn’t have a bag anyway.
Rocket – Bradley Cooper
A skilled pilot and talented weapons engineer with a particular flair for prison escapes, Rocket also happens to be a one-of-a-kind, genetically engineered raccoon. He’ll say “What’s a raccoon?” to anyone who points out what he looks like, and then probably threaten them with violence, depending on the kind of day he’s having. Rocket is still questioning whether or not he belongs on this team, but he’s at least committed to keeping an eye out for Baby Groot.
Baby Groot – Vin Diesel
Groot was a walking, talking tree that only ever said “I am Groot.” After sacrificing himself to save his friends in the last film, he’s now a walking, talking little sapling. And he still only says “I am Groot.” The last we saw Baby Groot, he was grooving out in a small flower pot (but only when Drax wasn’t looking). Now a little bit older, he’s left the flower pot behind, and he’s ready for more action with his best friend Rocket. But the filmmakers have said that Baby Groot is more rambunctious and more naive, and the rest of the Guardians are going to have to work hard to keep him out of trouble.
Nebula – Karen Gillan
Another daughter of Thanos, Nebula isn’t easy to get along with, and she maintains a ferocious rivalry with her sister Gamora. She may be equally as dangerous, but she’s decidedly less stable, making her unpredictable and, frankly, hard to trust. She barely survived the battle at Xandar, and now she’s teamed up with her former enemies. But as director James Gunn said in an interview, “you never know what’s up with that one.”
Yondu – Michael Rooker
This ruthless, blue-skinned mercenary is the closest thing to a father that Peter Quill has ever known, which explains a lot about why Quill is the way he is. But the affection he has for Peter takes a back seat when money is involved (to be fair, Peter’s affection for Yondu works the same way). Yondu leads the Ravagers, and in close quarters combat, he fights with an arrow that he can control by whistling.
Mantis – Pom Klementieff
Mantis was raised by Ego, but hasn’t really met anyone else until she meets the Guardians. Her empathic powers make her lack of social experience all that more awkward when it comes to getting along with her new friends. She’s almost as blunt and painfully honest as Drax, which will help the team get along with each other not at all.
Ego – Kurt Russell
There are some weird characters on the cosmic side of the Marvel canon, and Ego the Living Planet is one of weirdest. As portrayed in the comics, Ego is a full-size planet with glowing eyes and a continent-sized beard. In the film, Ego will have the ability to appear as a human, and it’s been revealed that he’s the father that Star-lord never knew. Not much is known about Ego’s abilities in the film, but he’s one of the most powerful entities in the Marvel Universe, so that may mean that Peter Quill has substantial powers and abilities of his own.
