23 Intriguingly Revealed Things About Guardians Of The Galaxy

The Guardians initially appeared in Marvel comic books in 1969, but you wouldn't recognize them today because the gang has evolved significantly over the years. Characters like Groot and Rocket Raccoon, for example, did not join the Guardians until much later. Since then, the Guardians have appeared in a variety of Marvel comic books, fighting alongside the Avengers, X-Men, and even the Fantastic Four. The Guardians even have their own animated series in the works, thanks to the unexpected success of the blockbuster film.
We've decided to peel back the layers of this incredible work of art and share some interesting facts about the Guardians with you. Did you know Chris Pratt was almost passed over for a role? And below are the 23 intriguing things about Guardians of the Galaxy.

1. Dave Bautista's Makeup Took Five Hours a Day and He Never Sat Down

Source: Guardians of the Galaxy / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

2. Chrome Dome

Source: Kevin Winter / Getty Images

In order to prepare for her part as Nebula, Karen Gillan shaved her head. They then created a wig from her own hair!

3. Getting the Part Made Dave Bautista Cry

Source: Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

4. Vin Diesel Recorded His One Line Over 1,000 Times

Source: Gage Skidmore / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0

5. Chris Pratt Got the Role in Just 30 Seconds

Source: Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Chris Pratt's audition was so amazing, director James Gunn stated, that he didn't even have to lose weight if he couldn't, and they'd just CGI him a six-pack if they had to.

6. Playing Groot Helped Vin Diesel Deal with Paul Walker's Death

Source: Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0

7. Director James Gunn Did the Groot Dance

Source: Guardians of the Galaxy / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

It was director James Gunn's performance that was used for motion capture during the mid-credits scene when baby Groot was dancing to "I Want You Back."

8. Chris Pratt Lost 60 Pounds for the Role

Source: Guardians of the Galaxy / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

9. Chris Pratt Improvised Star-Lord Flipping the Bird

Source: Guardians of the Galaxy / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

10. Most Marvel Characters Only Have 12% of a Plan

Source: Guardians of the Galaxy / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

11. Pratt Wasn't Shy About Basing his Performance on Harrison Ford's Han Solo

Source: Guardians of the Galaxy / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

12. Djimon Hounsou Took the Role Because He's a Cool Dad

Source: Guardians of the Galaxy / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

13. Groot is a Real Word in Many Languages

Source: Marvel

14. Star-Lord Takes Inspiration From Two Iconic Characters

Source: Back to the Future / Universal Pictures

Chris Pratt says his Star-Lord is a mix of Marty McFly and Han Solo.

15. Yondu Actually Plays for Both Sides

Source: Marvel

Yondu (Michael Rooker) is presented as a mercenary and... something of a villain in the film. In the comics, however, he is not only a proud member of a tribal warrior race, but he is also one of the Guardians of the Galaxy's founding members.

16. Everyone Wanted to Be Gamora

Source: Marvel Studios

Following Olivia Wilde's rejection of the role of Gamora, Gina Carano, Rachel Nichols, and Adrianne Palicki auditioned for the part, which was ultimately given to Zoe Saldana.

17. Guardians Made Cassette Tapes Cool Again

Source: zanny / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain

Following the success of the soundtrack album, Marvel announced that the mix tape would be released as a special limited edition cassette tape from November 17th to December 31st, 2014. The tape was only sold at record shops.

18. James Gunn Spent Lots of Time Fine-Tuning the Soundtrack

Source: Metaweb / GNU Free Documentation License

19. James Gunn Gave Out Play-Doh as a Reward

Source: James Gunn / via Facebook

On set, James Gunn kept a stash of Play-Doh canisters and would hand them out to everybody who did an outstanding job that day. Anyone could apply, whether they were an actor, a grip, a stuntman, or a PA. With a staff of nearly 200, he only gave out about 40 Play-Doh prizes over the course of the 85-day filming.

20. James Gunn's Brother Played Rocket on Set

Source: Marvel Studios

21. Vin Diesel Was Old Pals with the Sound Guy

Source: The Iron Giant / Warner Bros.

Vin Diesel was relieved to learn that the sound technician on Guardians who assisted him in recording his lines as Groot was Doc Kane, the same sound technician he worked with on The Iron Giant.

22. Rocket Is a Goodfella

Source: Warner Bros.