Guardians of the Galaxy's Original Ending Was Too Sad Even for James Gunn's Taste
The final montage of Guardians of the Galaxy originally included three additional characters that were cut for various reasons.
With Guardians of the Galaxy, James Gunn gave MCU audiences a fresh take on the superhero genre, which had previously focused on the serious side of being a superhero.
Despite some emotional moments, the first film in the franchise was full of hilarious jokes and storylines that were engaging and optimistic. It is this overall positive mood that led Gunn to change the original ending of the film.
The final version of the movie shown in theaters ends with Peter Quill regaining his ship and opening an old present from his late mother. Accompanied by a touching letter, the present contains the Awesome Mix Vol. 2, which begins with the Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's hit.
The song then triggers the montage of all the characters living out the conclusions of their respective arcs for the movie. Besides the Guardians, it shows Yondu, Irani Rael, and Corpsman Dey.
James Gunn revealed during a press conference that the montage originally included three more characters: The Collector with the scene that was then moved to the post-credits, Nebula walking through a field pissed off after losing her arm, and Grandpa Quill in old age makeup. The director explained his decision to cut the Collector and Nebula scenes by not wanting to include "bad guys" in an otherwise positive ending.
"It was a real joyous experience with that finale so we thought we'd keep it to the characters that were part of 'the good team,'" Gunn explained (via /Film).
As for Grandpa Quill, the reasoning went much deeper than that. Originally, Peter's aged grandfather was looking up at the stars while holding a photo of his daughter and young grandson. According to Gunn, the idea was that Mr. Quill had witnessed Peter's kidnapping and was waiting for his return, even after many years, in the belief that his grandson was still alive. While touching, this scene would definitely break the hearts of viewers and ruin the overall positive mood of the ending.
"It was freaking sad so we took it out," the director said.
It was probably a good decision. Even though this Grandpa Quill moment was profound, it would end the movie on a dark note and leave viewers feeling less positive as they left the theaters.