by Jocelyn Buhlman
If you’ve been keeping up with us on Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, then you joined us in our live coverage of the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 premiere on April 19 at the Dolby Theatre. We were thrilled to be out on the purple carpet, interviewing the large cast of characters from Marvel’s latest intergalactic romp. The Guardians have grown in members since the last movie, and new characters means new relationships and emotions to impact the action in a big way. Chris Pratt (Star-Lord) told us that the film is, “Surprisingly emotional! That’s definitely one of the threads; it’s really densely packed with comedy, drama, adventure, and action. It’ll move you.” We still have to wait until May 5th to experience it all for ourselves, so in the meantime, we looked to the growing cast of heroes and villains and wondered: With such an emotional, relationship-focused plot, how would other Disney characters affect the Marvel Cinematic Universe? We posed the question on the purple carpet, and here’s what real-life heroes of the Disney world have to say!
Buzz Lightyear would be a perfect team player
Miles Brown, the charming youngster known for his role of Jack Johnson on ABC’s black-ish, told us how a certain plastic spaceman could help out the Guardians: “I think he would be a good addition to the story. I think he’d fit in and help the team out, even though he doesn’t really have powers. He’d try to help the team out and he’d be ready to help fight battles no matter what, so I think he’d be a good addition to the group.”
Tiana could provide some princess power
Alyssa Jirrel, who plays Veracity from the new Disney XD sci-fi adventure MECH-X, had an answer for us right away: “Tiana from The Princess and the Frog,” she told us, “because she’s strong, powerful, and awesome, and I think she’d kick some butt right along with the rest of them.”
Thor would fit right in with the Guardians
When we saw Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi at the premiere, we knew we had to ask him how Thor would get along with the Guardians. Since Thor has a lot of experience with intergalactic mishaps, we knew he’d have a lot of experiences to share. Waititi told us, “Thor’s advice for the Guardians would be just lighten up and stop taking things so seriously! They’re obviously a very serious bunch of people who seem very stressed out, they seem very stressed. Thor’s advice would be just, ‘Look, we’re all going to live forever, so relax!’”
Wreck-It Ralph could wreck the baddies
Kamran Lucas (MECH-X4’s Harris) picked a character with some special powers. He asked us, “What if the Guardians got into trouble that they couldn’t get out of?” He knows just the guy to help them out: “Just bring my buddy Ralph and he’ll go ‘bam bam bam’ and boom! They’re out of trouble!”
Thumper could be the unexpected hero of the galaxy
As Yondu, the leader of the Ravagers, Michael Rooker is usually recognizable in head-to-toe blue body paint. At the red carpet, he was looking decidedly less blue, and he told us, “I look beautiful in and out of makeup! It’s meditative. I love all the makeup and I look forward to it every day whenever I go into work.”
Even when he isn’t blue, he still has a lot of insight into the Guardians of the Galaxy, and he told us which Disney character would be the best addition to the Guardians’ team: “Thumper! I’d put Thumper on the team because he is the kind of little character that can warn you when stuff’s about to happen! Thumper’s great.” The Guardians are practically a magnet for trouble, so we can see how having that cute little bunny around could keep them out of a tight situation.
What about the Bad Guys?
Michael Rooker wasn’t the only actor looking a little different on the premiere. Chris Sullivan, who plays the villainous Taserface in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, was looking more normal and less tasered while walking the purple carpet. He and Rooker actually shared a makeup trailer, and Sullivan told us, “Michael Rooker is a national treasure, and we had a lovely time.” He explained, “It was a dream come true. I couldn’t believe that it was happening every day, and it’s a nice way to start the morning.”
Of course, since he is playing a villain, Sullivan would naturally want to recruit Disney characters to help the bad guys instead of the Guardians. He told us how Disney characters impacted his villainous side, explaining, “Most Disney villains are a bag of jerks and have loud mouths, so they have all the traits that you need to play a villain.” He was inspired by another villain named for his distinctive face: “You have to channel a little Scar: a nice gruff voice and three and a half hours of face makeup—there you go!”
