Here's an 'awesome mix' of musical reasons to watch Guardians of the Galaxy 2

A relatively short time ago, in a galaxy not so far away — the Andromeda Galaxy, to be more specific — Marvel Studios and James Gunn proved that they could turn a relatively obscure comicbook super-team into a multimillion-dollar film franchise. With 2014’s box-office hit Guardians of the Galaxy, we saw how the adventures of a space pirate, an assassin, a talking tree, a cybernetically enhanced raccoon, and a battle-hardened warrior with a tenuous grasp of sarcasm opened the gates to a previously unexplored realm in the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe.

This year, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 shows us exactly what Peter Quill and his motley crew of intergalactic misfits have been up to since the last time we saw them. Vol. 2 is set a couple of months after GotG, and four years before the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War. While Vol. 2 takes a somewhat different approach to storytelling from the first film — instead of one long, straightforward narrative that leads to the formation of the team, the Guardians are given separate story arcs, bringing them back together near the end of the film for the typical kind of high-stakes finale we’ve all gotten used to seeing in Marvel movies — it still manages to deliver an exhilarating experience that almost lives up to its predecessor.

For a film as well-received as GotG, it’s admittedly a bit challenging to top it with a follow-up. Vol. 2 isn’t without its shortcomings (pacing issues, a lack of focus, and a handful of ill-timed jokes) but it more than makes up for them with character development, gorgeous visuals, humor that works most of the time, and a generally lighthearted feel that reminds us why, despite being under the Marvel banner, the GotG franchise is in an entirely different galaxy from the rest of the films in the MCU, in more ways than one.

And in the spirit of Star-Lord’s love for music, here’s an “Awesome Mix” of geeky reasons why you should definitely watch Vol. 2., inspired by hit song titles from the ‘70s. (Oh, and minor spoilers — a few non-specific plot points, plus some details that comicbook news sites have already confirmed — about Vol. 2 follow, so if you want to enjoy Vol. 2 without any prior knowledge of what’s in it, then… well, just take our word for it and watch it!)

Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough

For fans of the Mighty Marvel Method of Moviemaking, Vol. 2 features not one, not two, but five post-credit scenes. And while a couple of them are non-essential, slice-of-life segments in the same vein as the Dancing Groot credits scene from GotG, three of them are real treats for eagle-eyed fans of the comicbooks.

Bridge Over Troubled Water

If you’ve been following the Marvel movies from the very beginning, you’re definitely aware that the MCU is an ongoing story from one movie to the next. Due to its main story and antagonists, GotG was essentially a cosmic-themed patch in the tapestry of the MCU. Vol. 2, however, manages to stay self-contained, referencing the events of the previous film without going out of its way to set up Infinity War or any of the major upcoming Marvel movies (with the exception of the inevitable Vol. 3, obviously). Basically, for fans who would like to take a breather from following SHIELD, Asgardians, or Tony freaking Stark, the space shenanigans of the Milano’s crew in Vol. 2 will certainly be right up their alley.

Stairway to Heaven

As fun and frivolous as the GotG franchise can be, things take a serious and tragic turn in Vol. 2, as a significant character in the GotG mythos bites the dust. This character’s death becomes a major turning point, pushing certain players in the film towards a thrilling direction that will certainly catch the attention of longtime fans of the comics.

I’ll Be There

James Gunn confirmed that he cut a major character from the final version of Vol. 2, but if our educated guesses are correct, we actually do see this character (or hints of them, anyway) in this film, albeit in one of the five post-credit scenes. The character in question is an important and powerful figure in the Marvel universe, and a key player in quite a few crossover stories in the comics.

Another Easter egg confirmed by major comicbook news sites is the appearance of another Marvel team — one that’s even more obscure than Star-Lord’s crew was (before GotG caused their popularity to skyrocket). Here’s a clue: Sylvester Stallone appears to be the leader of this iteration of the team. If you know who he’s playing in this film, this will certainly blow your mind.

Reunited

Interestingly, despite the fact that it’s relatively self-contained, Vol. 2 may actually be the first hint that Marvel Studios and 20th Century Fox have finally learned how to play nice. And no, we’re not talking about Ego the Living Planet, whose rights were initially with Fox due to the character’s association with the Fantastic Four and Silver Surfer licenses; Gunn confirmed that this was made possible in the same deal that allowed Fox to redefine Negasonic Teenage Warhead’s powers in last year’s Deadpool.

Pay close attention to Stan Lee’s cameo in Vol. 2, and you’ll notice that he shares the scene with a certain entity who… shouldn’t be there — a very important character in the Marvel universe who should be off-limits to Marvel Studios for the same reasons Ego should have been, but somehow isn’t. This character is so important, in fact, that this just HAS to be a stealth crossover, or perhaps even a hint of things to come. We’re telling you, seriously: Comicbook conspiracists out there should Watch closely. — TJD, GMA News

Special thanks to Marvel Studios Philippines and Ayala Malls Cinemas for the special screening of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’.