If you loved the joyless, bitter actonism of Batman v Superman or the tragic martyrdom of Rogue One, well then you’re in luck: 2017 will be more of the same.
The days of indulging in cheesy, choreographed fight scenes, over-the-top explosions, and clear-cut hero/villain dynamics to escape the harsh complexities of real life have come and gone.
Historically simple, fun, feel-good franchises such as Transformers, The Fast and the Furious, X-Men, and even Pixar’s Cars have all released grungy trailers with heavy themes: the betrayal of loved ones, crippling loneliness, destruction of identity, and the consequences of failure without redemption.
And then there’s this guy.
Guardians of the Galaxy featured Chris Pratt flicking off the viewers at home in the first trailer. How else do you top that? Introduce Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 with a giant inter-dimensional squid monster vomiting rainbows at the audience.
Baby Groot steals your heart as Rocket desperately tries to explain exactly how not to blow up the planet, Bautista continues to do a sparkling job playing the ever so delicate Drax, and we even get a look at Guardians roster addition Mantis revealing all sorts of secrets.
Huge explosions, cheesy title sequences, glam rock, little baby twig monster thingies, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 looks to be a wild ride, instilling a glint of hope in a gloomy genre.