How a deal over a mutant's power helped bring a living planet to life
In short: When James Gunn wanted to include Ego the Living Planet in his sequel, he hit a legal wall. Marvel Studios did not own the film rights to the character. A surprising trade with 20th Century Fox involving a different character's power set finally cleared the path for the film's antagonist.
The inclusion of Ego, a god-like Celestial who can manipulate matter to form his own planet, was essential to the narrative of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Director James Gunn had initially assumed Marvel held the rights to the character. However, the rights were actually held by 20th Century Fox. To secure Ego, Marvel Studios struck a deal: they returned the film rights for Ego to Marvel in exchange for modifying the power set of Negasonic Teenage Warhead, a character Fox intended to feature in their 2016 film, Deadpool.
This arrangement was critical, as Gunn noted that replacing Ego would have been nearly impossible given the extensive development already invested in the character's storyline. Ego serves as the biological father of Peter Quill, replacing the character J'son from the original comics. The film depicts Ego as a Celestial who projects a humanoid guise to travel the universe, eventually falling in love with Quill's mother, Meredith. His true intent, however, is revealed to be a parasitic plan to plant seedlings on thousands of worlds to consume them as extensions of himself.
The production of the film, which premiered in April 2017, involved significant logistical efforts. Principal photography took place at Pinewood Atlanta Studios in 2016. The film's visual and narrative success was bolstered by a dedicated ensemble cast, including Kurt Russell as Ego and Chris Pratt as Quill. Despite some critics suggesting the sequel was inferior to the 2014 original, it was a major financial success, grossing over $869 million worldwide. The film also explored complex themes of fatherhood, with Yondu Udonta ultimately sacrificing himself to save Quill, cementing his role as the true father figure in the protagonist's life.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
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