The Skrulls Almost Debuted In The MCU With Guardians Of The Galaxy

08/06/2017 07:04 pm EDT

If you are a fan of the Skrulls, then you should be looking forward to Captain Marvel. The movie will debut in 2019 and finally bring the iconic aliens into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, it looks like the race could have folded into the franchise years ago thanks to Guardians of the Galaxy.

Recently, director James Gunn sat down with CinemaBlend, and it was there he said he nearly used the Skrulls in his first MCU venture. When asked if Marvel Studios had forbade him from using the aliens, Gunn had this to say:

"No, [Marvel] never said no. [They] said yes! It's something that we've talked a lot about dealing with. I almost put a Skrull in the Ravagers. But I'm really excited they're coming about, and I think it's going to be fun to see where they go from there, and what happens with the Skrulls in the future of the Marvel Universe. I'm a huge fan of the Skrulls."

Given the intergalactic setting of Gunn's film, fans might be curious as to why the Skrulls got booted. The director explained the choice ultimately came down to his desire to ensure Guardians of the Galaxy had a singular focus.

"I think it's all a matter of how many things you have in a movie," Gunn admitted. "I find that one of the things with writing these movies is that they start off incredible complicated, and then I have go, 'Uhhhh' and cut some of this great stuff... So often times there's a lot of different elements, whether it's scenes or characters or cameos or whatever, you end up cutting down, down, down, down until you get to what the movie is."

If you are not familiar with the Skrulls, then you should know the race is an important one in the Marvel Universe. The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and have appeared in more than 1,300 issues since. The race is known for its green, hobgoblin look and shapeshifting abilities. In the comics, the Skrulls were peaceful at first, but an inner-species conflict led to the race becoming more aggressive. Their comic book debut saw them attempt to conquer Earth by using their shapeshifting skills to infiltrate the planet, but the race has continued to cause problems for Marvel's heroes ever since.

MORE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL 2: Home Video Release Has Over 80 Minutes Of Extras According To Michael Rooker / James Gunn Explains Groot's Age Gap In Avengers: Infinity War / Michael Rooker Says Director James Gunn Loves Killing Him

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).

Disclosure: ComicBook is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of Paramount. Sign up for Paramount+ by clicking here.