James Gunn says 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3' is more emotional than its predecessors

From left, director James Gunn, actors Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff and Chris Pratt pose during a press conference for the film, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” at Conrad Seoul in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

By Kwak Yeon-soo

Director James Gunn said “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” tells an intimate story far more emotional than its predecessors and ends with the focus on Rocket's origin story.

“This is the biggest and the smallest 'Guardians of the Galaxy' movie. When I say the smallest, I mean personal. The characters interacting with one another are so emotional. They are so close and intimate and that's much different from other MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) movies,” he told Korean reporters during a press conference for the film at the Conrad Seoul, Tuesday.

“Rocket is really important to me because I relate to him a lot. He's an ultimate outsider. When I took this job in 2011 or 2012, it was Rocket's story that drove me to tell the Guardians' story. This movie is an exploration of this sad creature ― how he came to be so angry, where he came from and where he is going to go eventually.”

Gunn admitted that putting together the soundtrack for the film was the hardest part.

“I kept changing the songs again and again because I felt pressured to keep the bar high. The first two movies were based on songs Meredith Quill gave to Peter (aka Star-Lord), but this one's given to Peter from Yondu. So it has songs from the 70s, 80s and 90s and beyond,” the director said.

Actor Chris Pratt, who is returning to his role as Peter Quill, revealed that “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” will show a more mature version of his character. In the film, Peter, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him on a final mission to protect the Guardians.

“The first film tells the origin story of a young man who learns to care about more than himself and explores the maternal lineage. The second film focuses on the paternal lineage. The third film really is about oneself. There is more emotion than previous films,” he said.

A scene from the film, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" / Courtesy of Walt Disney Company Korea

Director Gunn expressed his excitement about kicking off “The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” global press tour in Korea.

“I've always wanted to come to Korea. I think over the past decade and even more, Korean films have been the best in cinema. I love movies like 'Parasite' and 'Mother' (from director Bong Joon-ho). 'The Villainess' (from director Jung Byung-gil) has amazing action and a lot of the action (in our film) was inspired from that,” he said.

Actress Karen Gillan shared her feelings about saying goodbye to her character Nebula almost 10 years after the first installment. “I don't want to say goodbye. I feel sad, but the whole experience was satisfying. It's been an amazing run and I was fortunate to play this role,” she said.

Pom Klementieff, who joined the MCU in the role of Mantis in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” said joining the superhero film series was a life-changing experience.

“I'm grateful to be part of these movies. When I got the role, it changed my life. I cried and laughed reading the script for this film. Every character is given weight and so many dimensions,” she said.

Gunn, who has directed various films for Marvel Studios, including “Avengers: Infinity War” as well as three Guardians of the Galaxy installments, talked about leaving Marvel Studios.

“I don't know how 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' will affect MCU going forward but Guardians won't be there. Hopefully, I would like to see more MCU movies that have more emotion to them as well as the big action and spectacle.”

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” will hit local theaters on May 3.