Liam Hoofe takes a look at Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’s five post credit scenes…
Post credit scenes have become a trademark of the MCU over the years. Whether they are expanding the universe, rounding off a joke seen in the movie, or giving us a brief teaser for an upcoming project, the post-creds stingers are nearly always worth sitting around for.
Sitting through the credits can be something of a chore though, and Marvel seemingly decided to combat that issue with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, by giving us not 1, not 2, but 5 mid and post credit scenes to chew on.
Dissecting these scenes can prove an extremely difficult task for those not well versed in the history of the comic books though, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’s scenes definitely did their fair share of fan service for the comic book lovers out there. So to help clear up any confusion over the meaning of all five of those scenes, here is a scene by scene breakdown of each of the 5 post-credits scenes.
Needless to say – this article contains spoilers…
Scene 1: Kraglin using Yondu’s arrow
Okay, so the first ‘post-credit’ scene kind of took place after the movie and just before the credits, making it a post-movie, pre-credits scene, I guess? The scene sees Kraglin attempting to use Yondu’s arrow, which was given to him at Yondu’s funeral by Star-Lord.
The scene will be of no consequence to the MCU, but it was a funny moment for fans, especially when he lost control of the arrow and it hit Drax in the neck.
It does hint that we may be seeing more of Kraglin in future movies, though, which is something I’m definitely very happy about.
Scene 2: Ravagers Unite
The second of the post-credits scene is one that will have got old school Guardians of the Galaxy fans very excited indeed. Stakar Ogord, played by Sylvester Stallone, tells the Ravagers that Yondu’s death has taught him a great deal and that they should put all of their differences aside and unite once again.
To the casual fan, this scene just seemed like an opportunity to get Stallone a little more screen time, but the more committed Guardians fans would have realised that the team that he reunited was, in fact, an older version of the Guardians of the Galaxy team from the 1970’s (though not quite the original, despite featuring several original members).
The team, which consists of Yondu, Martinex (the big glass/crystal looking dude) and Charlie 27, with Stakar and his wife, Aleta, showing up in later versions was seen, minus Yondu, as the scene closed.
While it is highly unlikely the team will play a major part in the MCU (though a spin-off would be great), it will no doubt excite fans to know that the team has been recognised on-screen and that maybe, just maybe, they will show up in Guardians Vol. 3.
3: Adam Warlock
The Sovereign race is a very proud one, who will not take kindly to the humiliation that they suffered throughout the duration of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. In the third mid-credit sequence, we see the high priestess Ayesha, telling one of her people that she has invented something that will put an end to the Guardians, before revealing a birthing chamber that she has named Adam.
But who, or what, is Adam? Well, the reference is one to Adam Warlock – a Marvel character who James Gunn has teased at for some time now. While the Sovereign inventing him to take revenge on the Guardians may differ slightly from the origin story of Adam Warlock seen in the comics, it is definitely an indication that the character is coming. James Gunn has talked about having the character on-screen, but if Gunn’s insistence that he is not starring in Avengers: Infinity War is to be believed, then we can likely expect him to make his big screen debut in either Avengers 4, or Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (with Gunn seemingly suggesting it will be the latter).
4: Teenage Groot
With Baby Groot being so adorable, it’s easy to forget that eventually, he will grow back into the Groot that we met in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. James Gunn didn’t forget though, and in the fourth mid-credits sequence we get to see an amusing interchange between Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord and a teenage version of the much-loved character.
Like the first sequence, this one is played out largely for laughs, but the fact that we will be seeing yet another new take on the character in Infinity War is something to get excited about, considering what a stellar job they did with Baby Groot in this one. That being said, Baby Groot will be sadly missed.
5: Stan Lee – The Watcher?
Stan Lee’s status in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been hotly debated ever since he began making cameos back in 2008’s Iron Man. The genius behind all these characters has shown up in every Marvel Studios movie to date, begging the question from many fans as to whether there is more to his role in the MCU than simple cameo appearances.
Midway through Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, we saw Stan Lee, in an astronaut’s outfit, chatting to some very strange looking bald people as Yondu and Rocket attempted to get to Ego’s planet. The shot was very brief, as are most of his cameos, but this one was different, as it appeared to add some clarity to a fan theory that has existed nearly as long as the MCU itself.
At the end of the movie, we return to Lee on the planet, recounting more stories to the strange bald people, as they finally get tired of him and walk off, leaving him seemingly stranded on the planet. While the last part of the sequence was played out for laughs, it’s the fact that he was telling them stories that make this scene so pivotal.
The bald-headed people Lee was talking to are The Watchers, a group of omnipresent beings who watch over planets without interruption or judgement. Fans have theorised that Stan Lee is in fact The Watcher for the Earth, which would explain why he has been around so many key events in the MCU timeline. The fact that he was reporting these stories back to The Watchers only furthers that theory.
Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel Studios, has said that Lee is portraying the same character across all of his appearances, and that he “is certainly a different type of entity within the Marvel Cinematic Universe”. The fact that he clearly doesn’t resemble the rest of The Watchers certainly adds a lot of intrigue to the situation as well.
Stan Lee turns 95 this year, so it is possible that the company will want to explain his character’s presence before he gets too old to take part in the films? With Thor: Ragnarok also being set in space, perhaps we’ll see The Watchers and Lee making another appearance before the year is out…
Set to the backdrop of ‘Awesome Mixtape #2,’ Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the team’s adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid as the Marvel cinematic universe continues to expand.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is out now and sees director James Gunn reuniting with returning cast members Chris Pratt (Star-Lord), Zoe Saldana (Gamora), Dave Bautista (Drax), Bradley Cooper (Rocket), Vin Diesel (Groot), Karen Gillan (Nebula), Michael Rooker (Yondu), Glenn Close (Nova Prime), Sean Gunn (Kraglin) and Laura Haddock (Meredith Quill) alongside new additions Pom Klementieff (Oldboy) as Mantis, Elizabeth Debicki (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.) as Ayesha, Kurt Russell (The Hateful Eight) as Ego the Living Planet, Chris Sullivan (The Drop) as Taserface, Tommy Flanagan (Sons of Anarchy) as Tullk and Sylvester Stallone (Creed) as Stakar.
Did you enjoy the five post-credits scenes for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2? Let us know in the comments below, and let Liam know on Twitter, here- @liamhoofe
