Marvel Fans everywhere get ready for the movie that will rock your world, literally. Comedy and adventure are not the only elements that will make fall in love with Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. The soundtrack is one of the most essential pieces in the film. In fact, Vin Diesel, who plays Groot, said "This is the closest Marvel will ever get to a musical."

Beginning the press conference, director James Gunn enthused, “It’s been the most exciting thing for me, you know in my entire professional career.” He continues by explaining that passion for the Galaxy has been in development for a very long time. “When I was a kid I was obsessed with different planets and the solar system and I use to create for every single planet a different alien race with a certain kind of pet and a certain kind of house and a certain kind of, you know water system and everything. And I would draw these pictures and I had hundreds of these pictures and I had them in a box and really to me this is like going back to this childhood box and creating this, you know fun universe.”

But creating a fun universe is nothing without its characters. Chris Pratt, who plays a funny and key character in the film talks about giving life to the unforgettable Peter Quill. “I’m not sure I even saw myself in this kind of a role. But, what’s really kind of nice about this movie, and I believe this, is that we did something with this movie that has never been done before. I think this is unlike anything that’s ever been done… So I don’t think I was right to do anything that’s similar to what’s been done before… So, maybe people wouldn’t have seen me in this role but that’s because they weren’t able to have the vision that kinda James had for what this could be, you know. He just told me in the audition, he was like ‘I’m just looking for someone to come in and just own this.’” Peter Quill, also known as Starlord is an adventurer who was abducted from earth at a young age. Quill may be far away from home, but he’s got a special something that keeps him connected to the world he left behind. James elaborates, “To me, when I started writing the script… The very first thing that I thought of was the idea of the walkman and the cassette tape which is really this characters connection to his own planet of earth and that was the emotional center of the film.” 

James Gunn admitted that while Pratt was not on his top list, it was only until he saw him audition that he knew Chris Pratt was perfect for the role. “We actually screen-tested at least twenty people of all, you know big stars, no names looking for the right person ‘cause I really wanted somebody who could embody this character and take it beyond what was on the page in the same way Robert Downey Jr. did for Iron Man, essentially and nobody blew me away… Sarah Finn, our casting director really deserves the credit for Chris in a lot of ways because she kept putting his picture in front of me and saying ‘what about this guy, why don’t you meet with him?’ and I’m like ‘the chubby guy from Parks and Rec.?’ Gunn continues, “He had this thing that was himself and sometimes a role and a person are meant for each other and that’s what I felt this was. And I turned around and Sarah Finn was sitting behind me and I’m like he’s the guy! And I’m like chubby or not, if he’s chubby the world should have to be ready for the first chubby superhero.” Pratt did get in shape for the film.

On the other hand, Zoe Saldaña comments that while she’s used to training for action films, she wanted to do something different with her character Gamora. “I just didn’t want Gamora to look like any typical action person that’s just like very martial artsy and just does those underworld jumps and lands and the ground breaks… I wanted her to be a little bit more graceful and antique, very classy in the way that she fights. My husband, one of his colleagues that was showing us as I was sort of doing research for Gamora, she was showing us her last collection of work she was going to do that wasn’t yet ready for the public. But it’s, she basically recorded this bullfighter from Spain dancing a dual, a fight and sort of reading the bull with his sword and in his cape… and I’ve never so many moves so, so smoothly and it was just such a seductive dance and I thought, well that’s Gamora. She’s a woman and she just has to be very seductive in the way that she tricks her enemy into falling into their own death.”

Another essential character is Taneleer Tivan, aka The Collector, who although is not a guardian of the galaxy, reveals information to the team that perhaps will help save the galaxy. Playing the role of The Collector is one of James Gunn’s favorite actors, Benicio Del Toro. “I’ve done a lot of movies. You never know. You really never know. You can do a movie you think is great and then you see it and it doesn’t work. You know, and this is something that is the opposite. This is a movie that I did. I loved working with everyone and then the final product was like a great movie that I really enjoyed,” said Del Toro. 

With such a fun and talented cast, including Bradley Cooper (voice of Rocket), Dave Bautista (Drax The Destroyer), John C Reilly (Corpsman Rhomann Dey), Djimon Hounsou (Korath), Michael Rooker (Yondu), among many other talented actors, Marvel is still full of surprises. Vin Diesel is the voice of Groot, an emotional character that changes the film in all the right ways. “When Kevin Feige [producer] called me and said that him and James were talking about me playing a role, I had no idea what role it would be. And they sent over a book of conceptual art and I went into my living room with my kids and I opened up the book. And I asked my kids what character they wanted daddy to play and they all pointed at the tree and I knew that was a good sign. For me it was at a very important time when I did this movie because it was in December. It was the first time I was coming around humans again and the first time I was working again. And there was something very therapeutic about it in my personal life. I guess in my professional life too, dealing with death and then playing a character that celebrates life in the way that Groot celebrates life,” concluded Diesel.

Guardians of the Glaxy is an experience unlike any other. James Gunn explained a few of the many reasons why this film is not only a fun and breathtaking film, but also an inspiring and emotionally unforgettable adventure. “First of all, to me with the movie it’s about a couple of things. Number one, the movie’s about a son’s relationship to his mother and how it manifests itself throughout the rest of his life. That to me is an emotional thing. The second thing is, we live in a world where everybody’s supposed to be cool and act tough and put up fronts and everybody’s so cynical and there’s a cool contest on the internet, who could be the most snarky and whatever and this movie is about actually allowing yourself to care… And then thirdly, I fell in love with these characters as I was making the movie. I fell in love with these actors as I was making it, and I think that just my natural sort of sensitivity to that, to characters, to people, to emotions is just something that automatically was expressed within the film. It’s a film about family.” 

As fans wait for this highly anticipated film, critics are already loving what could be Marvel’s new successful franchise. There is no doubt that this fun space adventure is the must see event of the summer. Guardians of the Galaxy hits theaters Friday, August 1^st.