Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 4 news: connection between Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange movies hinted at

First digital look at #GotGVol2 concept art shared in the new @empiremagazine. Have a great week, all! #GotG pic.twitter.com/frZLH5JqjC

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) August 22, 2016 " data-caption="null" data-credit="null">

Director James Gunn recently teased fans about the upcoming movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), especially for Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 and Doctor Strange.

In an interview with Coming Soon.net, Gunn warned fans not to expect to see a fully grown Groot as yet in the sequel as it may still take some time for him to return to his original form.

"Don't expect baby Groot to do too much changing in the second movie," Gunn said.

He also revealed a possible connection to the Guardians and the Galaxy and Doctor Strange and it will be in the form of a beast called the Abilisk.

"[It's] a multidimensional being. The Guardians have been hired to fight him," he said.

Doctor Strange is expected to feature alternative universes so the possibility is high that he will encounter the beastie.

In an interview with Chris Pratt, who plays Star Lord, he said that the sequel will delve into the story of Star Lord's father and how he will come to accept that his dad is actually a huge celestial body.

"You're going to see these characters having to endure the realities of being in a family. You're talking about a guy who's been longing to know who his father is for a long time. He'll discover if that person lives up to the expectations he has in his head," he said.

Star Lord's father is actually Ego the Planet, who will be played by Kurt Russell.

James Gunn revealed that it was actually Chris Pratt who suggested him for the role.

"He was actually not in my head initially but one day Chris suggested him and I would have been really disappointed if he'd said no," he said.

While Russell will play a planet, he will appear to his son in cosmic humanoid form.

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 will hit theaters on May 5, 2017 but Doctor Strange has an earlier playdate on November 4, 2016.

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