Fans may not associate the Guardians of the Galaxy movies with The Wizard of Oz, however, director James Gunn recently revealed the first film’s opening was inspired by the 1939 classic. As the director of the first two movies in the franchise, many credit Gunn with reinvigorating the Marvel Studios properties. Countering favorites like Spider-Man, Captain America, and the Hulk, he built a team out of low-rent Avengers. They weren’t quite as heroic, but they brought a breath of fresh air and more comedy bits to the MCU.
Gunn will return to direct the next film in his beloved franchise, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Unfortunately, that movie doesn’t yet have a release date, as Gunn is first finishing work on the DCEU film The Suicide Squad. Considering Marvel’s current slate, it will likely be 2023 before fans see the third entry in the Guardians series. However, the Guardians of the Galaxy themselves will likely return sooner than expected if they pick up hammers for Thor: Love and Thunder.
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During coronavirus quarantine, the Guardians of the Galaxy director took part in a virtual watch party for the film. As such, Gunn offered a few insights about the movie on Twitter. For example, the opening sequence, prior to Quill getting snatched from Earth, was inspired by the sepia-toned, black-and-white opening of The Wizard of Oz. Gunn specifically discussed the lenses used in the opening for a certain kind of effect. Check out his full explanation below:
We shot this opening stuff with young Peter and his family on anamorphic lenses but not the rest of the film. To me I thought a lot of the beginning of Wizard of Oz. #QuarantineWatchParty #GotG
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) April 8, 2020
Gunn is only the latest Hollywood creative to use the coronavirus quarantine as an opportunity to interact with fans. Many celebrities have been dropping teases for upcoming films on Instagram Live and other platforms. Hollywood is essentially at a standstill right now, with movie and TV productions shut down. Gunn himself revealed recently he’s been editing The Suicide Squad from home in order to continue work on the film.
The Wizard of Oz inspiration in Guardians of the Galaxy actually makes sense. Even casual watchers might notice the whole film could be an homage to The Wizard of Oz. Peter Quill is a corn-fed young man who gets whisked off to an unknown world. His “yellow brick road” leads him to Rocket, Gamora, Drax, and Groot, who Gunn patterned after his own faithful dog. The other three characters could easily represent the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion. All told, Gunn’s reveals about the opening to Guardians of the Galaxy line up with what fans know about the film.
Source: James Gunn
- Black Widow (2020)Release date: Nov 06, 2020
- Eternals (2021)Release date: Feb 12, 2021
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)Release date: May 07, 2021
- Spider-Man: Homecoming 3 (2021)Release date: Jul 16, 2021
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2021)Release date: Nov 05, 2021
- Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)Release date: Feb 18, 2022
- Black Panther 2 (2022)Release date: May 06, 2022
- Captain Marvel 2 (2022)Release date: Jul 08, 2022
