The Guardians are back at it again with the saving of the galaxy in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. But, before audiences flood to the theaters to see the newest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we're going to need a quick Guardians of the Galaxy recap to prepare for the sequel. Guardians of the Galaxy was, depending on who you ask, one of the most confusing Marvel movies or one of the most informative. (It really depends on your ability to keep up with Infinity Stone mythology.) So, before we get into the fun and games of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, here's a recap of Guardians of the Galaxy to get you caught up on what you forgot, or what you might have missed.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 picks up two months after the end of the first film, with the Guardians — Star-Lord/Peter Quill, Gamora, Rocket, Drax, and Baby Groot — traveling the galaxy as a team of heroes for hire. It's a far cry from the band of misfits and outlaws who were forced to come together in Guardians of the Galaxy. When we first met the group, they were nothing but a space cowboy, two assassins, and two bounty hunters. Now, they're legends. Here's what happened in Guardians of the Galaxy that made them the heroes they are in Vol. 2.
Guardians Meet Cute
The Guardians all met for the first time in prison, after Star-Lord stole an orb, Gamora tried to steal it from him, and Groot and Rocket ended up as bounty hunters on their tail. Drax, the big guy, was already in prison when they arrived. Unlike the Avengers, these Marvel heroes don't come together out of a need to do good, but out of necessity. Gamora and Star-Lord are both after the orb, which Gamora says has the ability to destroy planets. Drax, meanwhile, wants revenge on Gamora's evil brother, Ronan, for killing his family, and Groot and Rocket are skilled at escaping prisons. Thus, the Guardians of the Galaxy are born in a prison breakout. Yeah, they're a real band of misfits.
How The Guardians Saved The Galaxy
To stop Ronan from destroying entire planets using the Infinity Stone hidden inside the orb, Star-Lord, Drax, Gamora, Groot, and Rocket fight Ronan and his goons, including Nebula, Gamora's estranged sister, and eventually defeat him after Groot sacrifices himself in battle. To defeat Ronan, Star-Lord grabs the Infinity Stone, an act that should have killed him, and is able to wield its power to kill Ronan thanks to some help from Gamora and Drax.
Daddy Issues
Both Gamora and Star-Lord suffer from some very intense daddy issues. First, let's talk about Gamora, whose adoptive father, Thanos, is quite literally death, aka the biggest villain in the MCU. Thanos is currently after all six of the Infinity Stones, and Gamora has been secretly working against Thanos and Ronan this entire time. At the end of Guardians of the Galaxy, Gamora's sister Nebula is also feuding with their father, which could open the door for Nebula and Gamora fighting side by side in the sequel.
Now, let's get to the biggest daddy issues in Guardians: Star-Lord. Peter Quill was abducted from Earth when he was just a young boy after his mother died. Taken in by Ravagers, namely Yondu, Peter was raised in space and never knew his father. At the end of the first film, Yondu mentions to his colleague that it's a good thing they never delivered Peter to his father, like he had promised. Furthermore, it's revealed that Peter was able to hold on the Infinity Stone without dying in part because his father isn't human, but a descendant of some rare alien race. And, if this trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is anything to go by, it looks like we're going to find out plenty more about Peter's dad soon.
Infinity Stones
Given Guardians of the Galaxy's distance from the rest of the MCU, it's hard to say how crucial the Infinity Stone plot will be to the sequel, but here's a quick refresher just in case. Thanos is trying to get his hands on all six Infinity Stones, so that he can rule the galaxy and cause death and destruction wherever he goes. Currently, the stones are scattered across the worlds, having appeared in multiple MCU movies. (For example, one of the stones was used to bring Vision to life in Avengers: Age of Ultron.) Without going into the entire mythology here, what you need to know is that the Infinity Stones are incredibly powerful and dangerous.
And now, you know everything you need to know to enjoy Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 without turning around every two seconds to ask what the hell is going on. You're welcome.
