Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: Chris Pratt and James Gunn reflect on the decade-long journey

Writer/director James Gunn, who has helmed all the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, always knew how he wanted to end the franchise: telling Rocket Raccoon’s story. It’s this final origin chapter in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” that proves to be one emotional and entertaining ride.

When Gunn was approached for the franchise 11 years ago, he wondered, “If there was a talking space raccoon, where would he come from?” he told the Star in a virtual interview with both him and Chris Pratt, who plays Peter Quill/Star-Lord.

“I realized that his back story was a very sad one, that he had been created in this very difficult way. He was taken from being this innocent little animal and turned into something he didn’t ask to be and that back story was an incredibly powerful and traumatic and sad one. That, to me, was the seeds of the entire Guardians franchise that I think culminates in volume three.”

In “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” a narcissistic scientist named the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), who has long experimented on organic creatures to create the perfect species, sends Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) to retrieve Rocket (Bradley Cooper), who was one of his subjects, and he wants him back. When Rocket is wounded during a fight, the Guardians embark on a mission to save him and the universe.

Joining Star-Lord on the journey is Drax (Dave Bautista), Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Kraglin (Sean Gunn) and space dog Cosmo (voiced by Maria Bakalova).

Gunn took a chance on Pratt when he hired him to play Peter Quill/Star Lord — he knew right away that he was the one. Pratt has grown into his character over the last decade. The actor believes his approach to playing Quill is “95 per cent me and 5 per cent my comedic clown that I put on top for entertainment purposes.”

Gunn added, “I think you’re way less of a buffoon than Peter Quill. And you’re way less of a hothead than Peter Quill. Those are the two main things that make you not Peter Quill.”

Pratt has matured a lot as an actor and in this film, he said, noting he wanted to give him an opportunity to show some of the “deep emotion that he’s capable of as a human being and as an actor.”

Gunn also worked on other characters. He added humour to Nebula’s character because Karen Gillan is “one of the funniest people I know so I was able to allow her to do that.” With Pom Klementieff, “she’s got a spiciness to her; she gets to you and nudges you and that’s part of Mantis now. And so it’s not like they become their characters. But I do see things the actors are capable of that maybe haven’t been put on screen yet.”

For his part Pratt revealed that Gunn is specific, prepared and knows exactly what he wants — something Pratt loves.

“As a performer, it’s really great to have a director who has a very clear vision and is capable of articulating that vision. He’s got the ability to speak to each of us in the most effective way to get the performance from us.”

Sean Gunn, who plays Kraglin in the franchise and is James’ younger brother, echoed Pratt’s sentiments. “I love working with my brother more than anybody. We have a shorthand for communicating. We trust one another as creators and as collaborators,” he said in a separate interview ahead of the Toronto premiere.

Sean was among the very few who knew that Rocket was always the heart of the story. “From the time we were shooting the first movie, he [James] told me where Rocket was going and what his back story was. So that’s a secret that I’ve been living with for a decade that I’ve not been able to share with anybody.”

The impact of the experience of working together through that decade-long journey is not lost on the actors and director.

Pratt says he learned a lot about the craft, and gives part of the credit to his father, who was a woodworker and builder.

“A craftsman learns to fabricate their own tools to get the results that they need and so, over the past 10 years, I’ve really been able to hone my tool kit and add some tools that I didn’t have before,” Pratt said.

One of the biggest lessons he learned from James Gunn, he said, is that he doesn’t always need an approach to get the scene right. “Sometimes who I am, without doing anything, is enough to meet the moment. If I try to alter who I am, I might muddy the moment and get in my own way … (sometimes all that is) required for that moment, is just me being present and being comfortable in my own skin. Just breathing. Sometimes less is more.”

Gunn, too, says he carries pivotal lessons that will inform his future decisions as a filmmaker — he is set to direct the next “Superman: Legacy” as he leaves Marvel Studios behind and steps into his new role as co-CEO of DC Studios.

“I don’t want to make movies with people who I don’t really love. It’s a difficult process. We’re very fortunate to make films. We’re blessed to be able to get paid like we do for making films, but it can be long and tiresome. When you’re surrounded, not by people who you love and who love you but by people who don’t care, it sucks … I don’t want to spend my life like that. I want to be surrounded by people who I really love and care about.”

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” opens exclusively in theatres on May 5

Marriska Fernandes is a Toronto-based entertainment reporter and film critic. She is a freelance contributor for the Star’s Culture section. Follow her on Twitter: @marrs_fers

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