Early 'Guardians Of The Galaxy' Designs Reveal A "Perpetually Surprised" Star-Lord

If we were to rank all of the major Hollywood filmmakers based on how good they are with social media, Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn would rank somewhere near the top. Whether he's interacting with fans or shooting down rumors, Gunn uses Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram better than just about anyone who is making massively expensive blockbuster movies.

From time to time, he also shares behind-the-scenes photos and anecdotes from set. In today's edition of "James Gunn Was Interesting On Social Media Again," we have a look at some early designs of Star-Lord's mask. Although certainly recognizable as the headgear Chris Pratt's Peter Quill wears during Guardians of the Galaxy, there are enough little differences to give you newfound appreciation for how tiny little details make or break a superhero costume. Check out the original Star-Lord design for yourself after the jump.

Gunn shared three different images on three separate social media platforms (a tip of the hat to CinemaBlend), giving a few different angles of some early sculpts. As you can see below, Gunn wanted the wide eyes on Star-Lord's mask to give him a "perpetually surprised" look, which is perfect for a hero who is always out of his element. As Gunn points out himself, they ended up needing to tone it down slightly for the final version.

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#fbf Very early version of the Star-Lord mask. I wanted the eyes to be big, as if he was perpetually surprised, not your regular hero. We might have overdone it a bit here. #GotG #flashbackfriday

Posted by James Gunn on Friday, November 20, 2015

#fbf Very early version of the Star-Lord mask. I wanted the eyes to be big, as if he was perpetually surprised, not your regular hero. We might have overdone it a bit here. #GotG #flashbackfriday

A photo posted by James Gunn (@jamesgunn) on

These sculpts aren't the only early version of the Star-Lord movie costume that we've seen. Before a single frame of footage was shot for Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel revealed a piece of concept art to a packed Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con. It's astonishing just how much the final designs changed from this early announcement image. Sure, everyone is recognizable as themselves, but that demonic Groot and that squat, rotund Rocket are downright weird after seeing the final film versions. You'll also note that Star-Lord's eyes are much smaller here and the result is that he does look like a more traditional hero. Huh. Good call, Mr. Gunn.

guardians of the galaxy concept art

Meanwhile, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is in the midst of pre-production and is scheduled to arrive on May 5, 2017.