It’s easy to forget. Back in late 2016 and early 2017, the MCU wasn’t the behemoth it became after Endgame. People were still trying to figure out if the first movie's success was just a fluke, a weird cosmic accident involving a talking raccoon and a tree that only says three words. The original Guardians of the Galaxy 2 preview cycle was a fever dream of neon colors and Fleetwood Mac. Everyone wanted to know: Can James Gunn actually do it again?
The stakes felt weirdly high. It wasn't just about a sequel. It was about whether Marvel could sustain a "vibe" rather than just a plot. If you look back at the early footage and the Super Bowl spots, the marketing didn't focus on the plot at all. Honestly, it focused on Baby Groot. And it worked. People were obsessed. But beneath the cute sapling dancing to ELO, there was a lot of anxiety about whether this movie would just be a louder, dumber version of the first one.
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The Teaser That Broke the Internet (Specifically the Ego Reveal)
When the first real Guardians of the Galaxy 2 preview dropped, it didn't lean on the typical superhero tropes. There were no city-leveling explosions or portals in the sky. Instead, we got Drax giving Peter Quill some of the worst romantic advice in the history of cinema. This was the moment we realized the sequel was going to be an emotional character study disguised as a space opera.
James Gunn is a master of the bait-and-switch. He used the previews to sell a comedy, but the actual movie ended up being a deeply tragic story about daddy issues. Remember the reveal of Kurt Russell as Ego? The trailers treated it like this grand, mystical meeting. "I'm your dad, Peter." It felt like a classic Hero's Journey beat. Of course, anyone who actually knew the comics—specifically the Lee and Kirby era—was scratching their heads because Ego is literally a Living Planet.
The marketing team was very careful. They showed just enough of the "human" Ego to make us think he was a cool space traveler. They hid the fact that he was a genocidal celestial who planted seedlings across the universe to consume everything. That’s how you do a preview right. You give the audience a hook that makes them feel smart, then you pull the rug out.
Why the Music Mattered More Than the Action
You can’t talk about a Guardians of the Galaxy 2 preview without talking about the "Awesome Mix Vol. 2." The first movie’s soundtrack was a cultural phenomenon. It went Platinum. It stayed on the Billboard 200 for months. So, when the trailers for the sequel started using "Fox on the Run" by Sweet and "Chain" by Fleetwood Mac, it wasn't just background noise. It was a promise.
Music in these previews acts as a structural element. In most Marvel trailers, the music is orchestral and swells during the third-act montage. Not here. The music dictates the edit. You see Gamora firing a massive ship-mounted gun to the beat of a snare drum. It makes the movie feel like a music video with a $200 million budget. It’s a specific kind of "cool" that no other franchise has successfully replicated, though many (looking at you, Suicide Squad) have tried.
The Baby Groot Factor: Marketing Genius or Overkill?
Let's be real. Baby Groot was a calculated business move. Disney knew they had a merchandising goldmine, and they leaned into it hard during every Guardians of the Galaxy 2 preview.
Some fans were worried. There was this lingering fear that the character would be the "Jar Jar Binks" of the MCU—a character designed solely to sell toys to kids while annoying the adults. But Gunn used the previews to show that Baby Groot was still Groot. He was chaotic. He was violent in a way that only a toddler who doesn't understand physics can be. Watching him run away with a stolen fin while a brawl happens in the background? Pure cinema.
The previews also introduced us to Mantis. Her interaction with Drax—where he laughs hysterically at Peter’s "pathetic" secret—showed that the team dynamic was shifting. It wasn't just the core five anymore. It was becoming an actual family, with all the dysfunction that entails. This shift in the team's chemistry was the "secret sauce" of the previews. It promised more than just action; it promised a continuation of the relationships we’d grown to love.
Technical Innovations People Missed
While everyone was looking at the colors, the Guardians of the Galaxy 2 preview footage was actually showing off some insane tech. This was the first film shot on the Red Weapon 8K. For the nerds out there, that meant the level of detail was staggering. You could see individual hairs on Rocket’s ears and the texture of Yondu’s fin in a way that felt tactile.
The visual effects were a massive step up. The "Brave New World" aesthetic of Ego’s planet—inspired by the fractal art of Hal Tenny—looked unlike anything else in the MCU. Most Marvel movies have a "concrete and gray" problem. The previews for Vol. 2 screamed in technicolor. Greens, golds, deep blues, and pinks. It was a middle finger to the gritty realism that was trending in 2017.
What Most People Got Wrong About the Previews
Looking back, the biggest misconception from the Guardians of the Galaxy 2 preview cycle was that Nebula was going to be a secondary villain again. The trailers framed her as a captive, someone the Guardians were dragging along. They didn't show the heartbreaking reconciliation between her and Gamora. They didn't show the "He may have been your father, boy, but he wasn't your daddy" moment with Yondu.
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This is the hallmark of a great preview: it tells a story that is technically true but completely different from the actual film's emotional core. We thought we were getting a fun space romp about finding Peter's dad. We got a story about the trauma of being raised by monsters and the families we choose for ourselves.
Actionable Takeaways for Movie Buffs and Collectors
If you're looking to revisit this era or understand why these previews were so effective, there are a few things you should actually do. First, go back and watch the "Teaser Trailer" (the one with "Hooked on a Feeling" but different). It’s a masterclass in rhythm.
- Check the Soundtrack Credits: Don't just listen to the hits. Look up the deep cuts like "Wham Bam Shang-A-Lang" by Silver. These tracks were chosen specifically to mirror the plot beats of the movie.
- Find the IMAX Expanded Ratio: If you’re watching the movie today, try to find a version that supports the IMAX aspect ratio. Much of what was teased in the previews was designed for the tall screen.
- Analyze the Color Grading: Compare the previews of Vol. 1 to Vol. 2. You’ll see a massive shift toward "Fractal Art" and high-saturation palettes that redefined the look of the "Cosmic MCU" going forward.
- Research the "Cousin" Films: If you liked the vibe of the previews, check out The Right Stuff (1983) or Flash Gordon (1980). James Gunn has explicitly cited these as influences for the look and feel of the sequel.
The Guardians of the Galaxy 2 preview period was a unique moment in pop culture. It was the last time a Marvel movie felt like a scrappy underdog, even though it was already a massive hit. It proved that you could sell a movie on character and color instead of just explosions and "the fate of the universe." That’s why we still talk about it nearly a decade later.