THE SON RISES

CHRIS PRATT IS STAR-LORD

IN THE FIRST GUARDIANS PETER MATURES AND TAKES ON A LEADERSHIP ROLE. IS ALL OF THAT SHOT TO HELL WITH THE ARRIVAL OF HIS DAD?

in some ways, yes. But it was really important to me… i remember having that conversation with James. i said, “listen. it’s important that we honour where these characters went and the journey that they went through in the beginning.” you’ll see when you see the movie. it’s not taking the first movie and just doing it over again in a different way, which sometimes happens with sequels. This is different. We definitely pick up where we left off, and the growth that they’ve had in the first movie remains.

HOW HAVE THE GUARDIANS CHANGED?

The result is a closer familial bond, meaning more familial conflicts. like, the closer you get to your family the more intimately you know one another and the deeper your arguments become. The more real and more annoying they can become now that the lustre wears off of the original family dynamic.

IN THIS FILM, WE LEARN PETER QUILL WAS A BIG KNIGHT RIDER FAN. WERE YOU AS WELL?

yeah, of course! i remember KITT. i remember playing – i was michael Knight and i wanted to have my own KITT car. i remember all of that. That was a big deal for us. That was a big part of my childhood and also a big part of Peter Quill’s childhood.

WHAT DID YOUR ROOM LOOK LIKE AS A KID?

i had my own paintings on the wall. i actually had marvel characters. i had Wolverine and sabretooth fighting over my bed. and i had Punisher 2099!