[Article] Saying Goodbye in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL 3

In Marvel Studios’ GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL 3, our beloved band of misfits is settling into life on Knowhere. But it isn’t long before their lives are upended by the echoes of Rocket’s turbulent past. Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him on a dangerous mission to save Rocket’s life – a mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.

Recently, Nightmarish Conjurings took part in the virtual press conference for GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL 3 moderated by Nathan Fillion. On hand were Chris Pratt (“Peter Quill / Star-Lord”), Karen Gillan (“Nebula”), Pom Klementieff (“Mantis”), Will Poulter (“Adam Warlock”), Chukwudi Iwuji (“The High Evolutionary”), Sean Gunn (“Kraglin”), Maria Bakalova (“Cosmo”), James Gunn (Director) and Kevin Feige (Producer).

Memories of the Guardians of the Galaxy

Kicking things off, Nathan Fillion got right to the heart of the matter while chatting with director James Gunn. After 14 years, Guardians of the Galaxy has come full circle and in doing so, Gunn discussed how the films have changed him:

“I think it’s changed me in so many ways. Everything I’ve learned from Kevin [Feige] and [Executive Producer] Lou, I think also in terms of just this family of people, I’ve been really good at hiring non-jerks. Not only non-jerks but people who are actually positive, compassionate, loving, kind people. I’ve grown incredibly close to these people. I really love them, ad it makes making movies a much more pleasant experience.

My main memories are not going to the premieres or going on these press junkets. It’s being on set and having these little moments. It’s doing bits with Chris [Pratt] in between sets. It’s talking to Sean [Gunn]. Watching Chuk [Iwuji] turn in an amazing performance. Goofing around with Pom [Klementieff], wondering what the hell she’s talking about. These are the moments.”

It was apparent from when Guardians of the Galaxy first premiered that there was a noticeable closeness with not only the characters but the actors themselves. With everything coming to an end, Gunn remarked on saying goodbye to these characters:

“I’m gonna miss the characters. That’s the saddest part for me, is I really, truly love these characters. I’m not gonna be writing the characters again, at least not in the near future. And so, that’s real sadness.”

Big bad villain

But before we say bye to our favorite misfits, they have to compete with one more big bad. In the case of GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL 3, Gunn wasn’t going to go out without a bang. Coming on as the actual villain of the film was “Peacemaker” actor, Chukwudi Iwuji. In the film, Iwuji portrays The High Evolutionary, a maniacal genius who does awful things in the name of science in hopes of creating a utopian society. Talking about taking on such a dark role and getting into the mindset of the character, Chukwudi explained:

“It was very dark. Between James telling me he wanted me to play the role and doing the screen test, I had a lot of downtime. So, the first thing that was written when you meet [The High Evolutionary] is him listening to Space Opera. Immediately I knew classical music was gonna be a big part of this character. Because I didn’t know where I was gonna go with him, I thought I would listen to a lot of my favorite arias and classical music. If he’s listening to opera and he’s in space and he’s this mad scientist sort of person, I thought of someone that doesn’t sleep. Someone that’s obsessed with listening to this music. He needs the music as he wanders through his castle at night.

I [also] thought very deeply about Henry IV. He has a great speech about “Heavy is the head that wears the crown. How many thousands of my poorest subjects are at this moment to sleep?” It wasn’t really about specifically how I [would] play the character written. It’s like, how do I bring this guy into the room? Because I knew that would be taken care of in the script, the motivations and the moments and stuff are impeccably written. It was about who this guy is before he turns up on the set.”

The High Evolutionary is sure to be a villain that leaves a lasting impression on viewers and one of the biggest foes the Guardians go up against. No one is safe and everything is on the line when GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 opens exclusively in theaters on May 5th.

Author
Recent Posts

Follow Me

Shannon McGrew

Founder/Co-Owner at Nightmarish Conjurings

Shannon is the Founder of Nightmarish Conjurings and a lover of all things horror and haunt related. When she's not obsessively collecting all things "Trick 'R Treat" related, or trying to convince everyone that "Hereditary" is one of the greatest horror films ever made, you can find her designing interiors for commercial restaurants. An avid haunt fan, Shannon spends the entire year visiting haunts and immersive experiences throughout the Southern California area and hopes to one day design her own haunted attraction.

Follow Me

Latest posts by Shannon McGrew (see all)