James Gunn Reveals What Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 Is About

Earlier today, moments after watching Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 footage with writer/director James Gunn at Walt Disney Studios’ editing room, Vin Diesel, who voices Groot, posted a reaction video.

He was so overcome with excitement that he was left nearly-speechless, but once he was able to compose himself, he and Gunn expressed their praise and admiration for the main cast, explaining what makes each of them so special in the sequel.

And when they got to the female cast members, starting with Zoe Saldana, Gunn discusses what the sequel is about. “I really feel like we give the female characters a chance to shine in this movie,” Gunn explains. “Because Zoe Saldana comes in and she is so wonderfully beautiful as her character. It’s touching. And Karen Gillan as Nebula comes in, and she’s her sister, and she’s completely a much deeper character than we got in the first movie, so we get to know her.” Diesel adds, “That character, the sisterhood that you explore in this movie is something we haven’t seen in film. We definitely haven’t seen it in this level of film.”

“And that’s one of the things that this movie is about…,” Gunn continues. “The first movie was really about becoming a family. This movie is about being a family. And what’s harder, becoming a family or being a family? I think it’s being a family. That’s where you really have to deal with each other. And that’s what this movie is about. And their sisters. They are family, whether they like it or not. And they also want to kill each other, so it adds a new twist to being a sister.”

Set to the backdrop of ‘Awesome Mixtape #2,’ Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the team’s adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid as the Marvel cinematic universe continues to expand.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is written and directed by James Gunn (Slither). The film marks the return of the original Guardians, including Chris Pratt (Jurassic World) as Peter Quill/Star-Lord; Zoe Saldana (Star Trek Into Darkness) as Gamora; Dave Bautista (Spectre) as Drax; Vin Diesel (Furious 7) as the voice of Groot; Bradley Cooper (American Sniper) as the voice of Rocket; Michael Rooker (Jumper) as Yondu; Karen Gillan (The Big Short) as Nebula; and Sean Gunn (Gilmore Girls) as Kraglin. New cast members include Pom Klementieff (Oldboy), Elizabeth Debicki (The Great Gatsby, Everest), Chris Sullivan (The Knick, The Drop) and Kurt Russell (The Hateful Eight, The Thing).

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is scheduled to hit theaters on May 5, 2017.