The sequel to last year’s intergalactic Marvel blockbuster has hit headlines in recent weeks as its director James Gunn revealed a series of tidbits concerning its current status. One factoid that’s not been mentioned is the actual title of Guardians Of The Galaxy 2. Granted, the one just cited suits the movie to a T. You can’t really go wrong with something that straightforward. However, thanks to a preview of Production Weekly’s upcoming issue, that may no longer be the case.
On the site’s overview of its recently updated titles, Guardians Of The Galaxy 2 makes an appearance in the long, LONG list. It’s understandable, too, as Gunn announced last week that should his Marvel-approved pitch birth a knockout script, the movie is eyeing up February 2016 as its start date. What’s most interesting here is that in the listing on Production Weekly’s website, the title appears as Guardians Of The Galaxy 2 (aka “Guardians 3000”)
Okay, so we might be jumping the gun a bit – after all, most movies enter production under working titles – but the origin of this particular title suggests that it just might stick.
Guardians 3000 refers to a brand new comic series from writer Dan Abnett which debuted in June 2014. Abnett’s first stint writing Guardians began in 2008, when he birthed a new roster of characters – all of whom appeared in last year’s flick. His series from last year, however, re-enlists the original 1969 line-up of Guardians. Now, taking into account some past comments from Gunn, the idea of bringing back some of those fan favorites isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
In early March, during a Twitter Q&A, the director confirmed that Guardians 2 would feature one of his favorite superheroes. The helmer has previously mentioned his affection for original team members Adam Warlock, Beta Ray Bill and Starhawk, who all hail from the 1969 line-up and all appear in the rebooted Guardians 3000. The former in particular holds great sway over the comic book timeline, as in the original Infinity Gauntlet story he was dubbed the protector of the gauntlet and became one of the first to wage war against Thanos. Who we all know imparts great influence over the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Again, we could just be jumping the gun here, but something tells me that Guardians 3000 has a bit of significance and is not just a meaningless working title.
Whatever Gunn and co. decide to call the film, we for sure know that Guardians Of The Galaxy 2/Guardians 3000 is scheduled to open on May 5, 2017.