This Is The Right Way To Introduce A Hero 

Back when the MCU was willing to think outside the box

The opening of Guardians of the Galaxy to this day remains my favorite introduction of a character. Once the music kicked in and Star-Lord started dancing, I knew it was not only something unexpected, but also special

This was the blueprint as to what the MCU has been after this movie. They thought that jokes after jokes are the reason why this movie was great for what it was when it was the emotional moments that made this movie a great experience. Talk about caring about a tree and a raccoon.

Fun Fact: Chris Pratt cited heroes Han Solo and Marty McFly as influences on his performance as Star-Lord.

This movie is so groundbreaking that it reshaped the MCU into what we later came to know and hate

When this movie was made, no one thought it was gonna be hit. That's why James Gunn had more creative freedom. Not even Gunn himself thought it was gonna be a hit. So he made the movie as if it was his last one

What makes the beginning scene of GotG even better I feel, is when we revisit it in Endgame. It's fun to watch Peter dance around and just be a goofball, and then we return to the scene without the music for Nebula and Rody watching him, and you realize that's actually how the scene would look to anyone else there. Peter doing a goofy dance to music in his headphones, so no one else hears and just looks like a weirdo. I think we all do that though lol-

The way they used music to make a connection with the audience and how they built it into the story was something very unique and special!

After we've been introduced to the genius, playboy, billionaire with his suit of armor, the Norse god of thunder, and the World War II super soldier, it's a fresh air that our next hero would be a some guy who was kidnapped by aliens from 1988 Missouri when he was ten years old. This was when MCU still remembered that the best world-building starts with character.

After learning about more of Gunn's filmography, the fact that he made a phenomenal family-friendly cast of characters just speaks to his range and skill as a filmmaker. So many directors seem pigeonholed into either family-friendly or rated R, but Gunn is great at both.

I can tell you this. As an indigenous person here on the reservations we always love Redbone's Come and get your love. My theater erupted in cheers, laughing and singing along once the needle drop came in. Flash to today and it puts a smile on face knowing everyone vibes to a song from a previous obscured indigenous rock group. James Gunn sure can make obscure things famous.

Gunn leaving the MCU will be missed. He was great at balancing emotional storytelling and comedic timing. DC is getting a gem.

There's also the idea that among all this wreckage and decay, in this dour setting, Star Lord is just dancing through it. Not only showing the tonal shift from dour to comedic, but showing that Star Lord himself is someone who, even in the face of very grim circumstances remains fairly blaze and often uses humor/playfulness as a sort of defense mechanism to help get through it. Probably because he's forever stuck being a kid--the same kid we just saw being abducted in 1988.

The thing that fascinates me about Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 1 is that they are able to introduce multiple important characters, with individual powers and skills AND make them all memorable. Now, compare that to the drab and boring Eternals. IT also introduced multiple important character, with individual powers and skills.... but I honestly can't remember the name or powers of a single character. I am not a comic book reader. I had never heard of a single character in either movie before. One worked. The other didn't. I'm sure the visual differences were easier to handle when you have a talking tree and a genetically modified raccoon. But there are ways to distinguish characters even if they all are just human-looking. And Eternals didn't do that at all.

Pratt's personal stuff aside, dude is HILARIOUS. That "You may have internet connectivity issues." line was improvised on the spot.

he’s so good even at redemption arcs, imagine nebula or even peacrmaker, that series was a banger and just showcases his incredible talent

When Quill takes down the mask, presses play on his tape, the music kicks in and then that title drop, that is when I knew we were in for something truly special

Find it interesting watching this video considering how I watch the third film today on the big screen and I thought. Wow, Guardians of the galaxy has tragedy and suffering at every single turn. Galaxy 1-2-3 definitely has some of the straight up the saddest moments in the MCU but also some of the silliest. That is a very difficult line to walk.

I would love to see Henry reprise his role as Superman under James Gunn. I personally feel that he is such an underrated actor and he could honestly play such a good Superman with the right Director.

They really nailed the payoff and gave us an incredibly satisfying ending to not just Peter Quill's ark throughout the MCU, but also give all the Guardians a satisfying end to their stories that simultaneously feels fulfilling and yet leaves room for more potential stories with a new roster of characters

GotG's opening is one of my favorites in the MCU. Sucks to lose Gunn to DC but I'm hopeful he can turn things around there. Then, with better competition, I hope the MCU will improve in quality as well.

James Gunn is the only reason why I have hope for the dcu his ability to introduce the known less known and all round wacky characters of any franchise is honestly masterful

i still remember when Guardians released and most people had no idea who they were (including myself) but then i went to see it and it was so good from the beginning, probably the best first movie of the MCU

One of my favourite movie intros, directors often doesn't use opening sequences well IMHO. Another good one is from Baby Driver. Perfect start to a movie

I'm a Gunn believer. He's a director who approaches movies from a place of sincerity and genuine wonder. I bet the Jurassic Park sequel trilogy would've been sure hits had they asked him to write and direct.

I saw Guardians of the Galaxy on opening night, and the energy of the huge crowd was electric! It was almost as if everyone knew something I didn't quite pick up on. I wondered if they'd somehow seen it earlier in the day, but No. That wasn't it. They like myself had gone from wondering if I'd wait until GoTG came out on video, to being in a theater on opening night! That was mostly due to the PERFECT TRAILER for this movie! And we were NOT disappointed! I'm still surprised how so many people of different ages and backgrounds could be so in-sync the instant Starlord started dancing!

“Off beat weirdos with heart” amazing way of describing his movies

James Gunn: The king Midas of Superhero adaptations

THANK YOU, THANKKKK YOOUUUU!!! This scene was my favorite ever to an introduction to a character. God, it's what got me into cassette culture and guardians of the galaxy restarted cassette tape culture

Come and get your love is the perfect song for this opening scene

It was definitely an incredibly strong opening to a movie and introduction to the main character, the heart and soul of the movie. In just a few short minutes, you learn so much about what type of character Quill is. The comparison of Snyder treating heroes like God's, who you cannot relate to, versus James Gunn's way of treating them, it is night and day. The amount that he made me feel for that king shark because he couldn't go inside the bar with the rest of them, even though he was really good at disguises, that made me feel. Rat Catcher 2, similar situation. Not exactly a type of character I have any history with as someone who never knew of any of these characters, aside from obviously like Harley Quinn. I won't guarantee that the Gunn-verse will be great, or that DC and Warner are going to win big on this one, but this is the most confident that I have been in terms of expecting a good franchise to come out of this since... maybe the Dark Knight Trilogy? Whatever belief I had was quickly disappointed by Man of Steel. It is interesting to see that there are going to be tons of lesser known characters that are going to get a chance to shine, but also going to be interesting to see how he tackles the more well known characters. I really feel like we're going to see the heart put back into a lot of DC characters who have been lacking it.

GOTG is still one of the best openings ever. Star Lord singing and kicking that little creature will always be hilarious.

The guardians of the galaxy franchise was one of the few mcu franchises that I’ve seen the entirety of in theatres, my dad and I were bored and saw that a group of friends were going to see the first one and we thought what the heck let’s give it a shot. EVERY joke landed in the audience, EVERY dramatic moment landed in the audience, EVERYONE LOVED EVERYTHING, from there we basically agreed that this was the best thing to come out of marvel. Me and him aren’t on good terms this year, but I guarantee you if I called him and asked him right now if he’d seen 3, he’d light up for a brief moment and say yes

Loved that opening, great video!

He might be the perfect person to make DC actually rival Marvel's movies. Most of the heroes from DC are extremely weird when you stop to think about it, but they are mostly wholesome when they interact with each other or with people they save. They're mostly serious and dark, yes, because they take their job seriously (unlike how marvel portrays its own heroes as standup comedians), but they do have moments of levity when time allows for it. Making a joke here and there during the off-time, reminiscing about the past, or even having deep meaningful conversations about what they're doing. An example comes to mind of the animated show where batman has a contingency plan for every hero in case they go rogue, and it's stolen and used against the heroes. They're somber about it, serious, judgmental of Batman, even, but at the end, Superman and Batman have a heart to heart moment. Even though they more or less understand Batman's point of view, they don't necessarily agree with it, and Superman quips, "And what contingency do we have if you go bad someday, batman?" to which Batman replies both wholesomely and as irony, "You are the contingency". I may be paraphrasing here, but those kinds of moments are sorely missed from the DC movies. It's like marvel decided to be the clown and dc decided to be the fun police. Here's hoping for a middle ground going forward, if not from marvel, at least from dc.

Honestly, this video has brought back some hope into the DC movies for me. Hope it all goes well.

one of the best marvel trilogys

The three Gaurdian movies are my all time favorite MCU films, for the brilliantly chosen cast, to the humor to the perfect chemistry between the actor. You have it all, joy, sadness, humor, these three films really are nearly perfect.

The movie that almost every mcu movie following tried and failed replicating. This trilogy is also why my trust for Gun for the DCU is pretty high, never really understood the Snyder hype tbh. I did love the watchmen though.

It immediately makes him a super likeable character

James Gunn has the great ability of taking obscure comic characters and making them loved by a much wider audience, and I really appreciate that. I love that he doesn't just play it safe and go for comic characters that are already well known.

Honestly this is the perfect length for a video

I watched Guardians of the Galaxy for the first time, then I had to re-watch it immediatelly. That is how I felt. That movie has been among the 10 movies I had to re-watch after watching it. I was compelled.

that seamless transition in the slides 🍻

i replayed this scene for most of my teens that i enjoy it so much it was on a loop, same with the sound track

Your words are like poetry. You seem to always find the correct words to convey what you are saying and what I’m thinking

I remember when I was 13 years old not knowing anything about this film and going in blind. I was so concerned and scared how it would turn out. That was when the music started playing. The song was something my family and I listened to forever, and afterwards I knew I was in safe hands! 😊

4:15 “-like nobody is watching” Can’t help but to chuckle at that

10 years passes by so quick.

james gunn introduced a group of unknown misfits and made them one of them fan favorites

If the video topic is the x axis, this man’s videos are literally a huge sine curve

Solid analysis.

Didn't know Gunn made Brightburn, that's my favourite superhero movie. If I think of someone that powerful that is how they would be in this messed up world tbh.

Star Lord dance intro is just the best

The orchestra was excellent as well, especially at the climax with “Black tears”.

my family loves the opining scene so much, we watch it anytime we get. its just so funny. and Chris Pratt plays his parts to a T wherever he goes

Star-Lord is both underrated and legendary.

Intro to the 1st guardians is my favourite scene in all marvel movieverse

OMG Authority that could be so good. I'd love to see the Engineer and a few others maybe with a few flash backs to stormwatch

side note on michael rooker, he really is a mainstay. on the suda51-james gunn collaboration for the videogame "Lollipop Chainsaw", michael rooker plays the 2nd boss of the game, a zombie viking named vikke who represents viking metal and wears an animated undead bear pelt.

When the title blasted onto the screen to the sound of Redbone, I knew I was gonna love this movie. And I was right.

For those who don't know, the "People also know me by another name, Starlordz" only to be met by "who?" is a nod to the comics where at one point Starlords name was so famous that enemies literally would put down their arms and didn't even want to fight him just from the legends about him alone.

PLEASE make a good Swamp Thing movie. He's such an amazing character, he's dark, he's fucked up, and he's complex. You can tell a few great stories with him.

I really want to see more from the Brightburn universe. They hinted at and left it open for so much more.

Yep opening to one of all time favorite characters. Also I have generally really liked post Infinity Saga.

Guardians of the Galaxy through James Gunn has a great control of tone

I'm dying to see Gunn's take on Superman... his love for comics should bring him up like never before... I just wish A Superman that is kind and caring

Having just learned that they're doing The Authority, I'm most excited for that!

This was the right way to introduce THIS character

Gunn was the one responsible for what we got in End Game, not Feige. He just took credit.

Gunn perfected the vibe of the MCU before its even a thing

No wonder I like the GotG more than most of the MCUs films, I see myself as a slightly weird person, I naturally resonated more with these characters.

Openings to Hancock, Chronicle and Deadpool were also great introductions.

I personally love and respect both Snyder's and Gunn's visions Snyder's way of showing the drama and huge spectacles with God-like beings who should not exist and Gunn's way of showing emotion and how these God-like beings are no different from humans

And then in endgame when the music turns off and it’s just him singing the occasional “Come and get your love” killed me at the theater

I must admit when the film came out i was like i dont know if im going to enjoy, i didn't know anything about guardians. but as soon as i saw peter lip singing come and get your love i was instantly hooked, and now guardians is probably one of my favourite of all marvel 2nd to spider man

As a Hero, I agree

If Gunn announced that he was directing a 24-hour real-time streamed performance of Days of our Lives, all acted on a normal size chess board with monopoly prices, I'll be excited. That guy is a genius

Almost 10 years old and still my fav marvel movie!

GOTG is the only MCU movie i watched over and over again... never get bored

The in-depth breakdown of what a “Himbo” is coming right after Peter’s mom's death scene caught me off guard so hard I choked on my water 😭

I would even go further and say it's not only the best movie opening, it's also one of the best needle drops.

You could think of Gotg as A live action one piece before the livd action one piece great story telling blended with comedy and emotions it has. Soul

"the authority" will be an absolute swing or miss if gunn really goes for that

3:52 : Definitely a Devil May Cry moment Even the coat looks like dante's lol

Hello. Great video!

Bro... What is that video time? Nice!

Gun needs to reigned back a little, as Guardians 3 shows

I love this movie. We own it on DVD so I've seen it at least 20-30 times

"insert Ox scream"

@nerdstalgic can you please make a Joe dirt episode?! It’s such an amazing classic and SO many people love it and it’s easily David spades best movie. I promise you it will get the views and if it doesn’t I solemnly swear here and now I will watch the video 10000000 times just to keep ur stats up just pleaseeeee do a joe dirt episode I’m begging!

anytime I feel blue I play the GotG soundtracks. it always lights up my day :)

Guardians of the galaxy always was and will be my favourite marvel series

That could be my dating profile headline: "Off beat weirdo with heart."

The connectivity problems line was unscripted too!

Perfect Movie

"...A flair from Gunn." I see what you did there.

I want James Gunn to do a movie together with Shane Blake in some future DC movies... damn that sounds awesome.

The best introduction so far is all the guardian in the volume 1 except drax Their introduction that start in a battle is so good

Bro, I walked into the cinema knowing nothing about GOTG. Now, it probablythe best series and one of my favorites in all of MCU.