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Hidden Details You Missed In The Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 Trailer

A brand new trailer for James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 has been released, and it's loaded with fresh intel about Marvel's space-faring super sequel.

From new character developments, new missions, and new heroes, to hints at where the plot of the new Guardians adventure might go, we've watched the fresh footage a few dozen times and put together as much as we could possibly glean from what Gunn & Co. have opted to reveal. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hits the big screen in May 2017—until then, here's everything you might've missed in the latest trailer.

They fight a giant squid monster called the Abilisk

We saw Gamora with a sword, jumping to fight something offscreen, in the the first (very teaser-y) trailer for this film, and the new footage seems to reveal what she's aiming for. We get to see what appears to be additional footage from that set piece, as Gamora and Drax (along with what appears to be a few other heroes in the background) take on a gigantic squid monster.

Gunn previously revealed a peek at this creature in a piece of concept art from the film, and said he is calling it an "Abilisk." Going back to the comics canon, there's not a lot of reference points for this wild creature, so it could be a unique creation by Gunn for the film. Gunn did reveal the thing is a "multi-dimensional being" the Guardians have been hired to fight. No word on if this is the main story of the film (we doubt it, since it doesn't seem to tie into Kurt Russell's Ego the Living Planet), so the best bet is that this is the opening set piece (a classic Marvel Studios tactic these days), or just a side mission to the main narrative.

A new mission involves a bomb, plus very high stakes

It's hard to tell definitively if Rocket and Groot's scene with the bomb is the same mission with the Abilisk (it looks that way, but hard to say with 100 percent certainty), but regardless: Rocket will be building another bomb (surprise, surprise). But at least judging by Rocket's introduction to the stakes in the voice over, it sounds like this bomb will have a very important purpose once they blow it up. Like, world-saving implications. Best guess is that they're using it to take out the Abilisk, but at the moment, that's only speculation.

Baby Groot has trouble following instructions

Groot was always a little silly in Guardians of the Galaxy, but it seems being regrown as Baby Groot might've affected his maturity level along with his size. We see Rocket and Groot share a hilarious scene involving a bomb, where Rocket repeatedly explains which button not to push, while Baby Groot just can't seem to get it. Groot is already fairly childlike, and since he's literally called Baby Groot, it stands to reason this regrowth also downgraded his maturity. As we see in this scene, and the later follow-up where Groot takes off into a cavern with the detonator while giddily laughing, that should make for more than a few good jokes along the way in Vol. 2.

Space battles

It wouldn't be a Guardians of the Galaxy film without some awesome space fights, and we get to see a little bit of the Milano flying through an all out war here. The franchise is called Guardians of the Galaxy, and this is pretty much the only property where Marvel can justify having giant space battles. So yeah, consider that box checked off with the sequel. As for who the Guardians will be fighting? It's really hard to identify the ships as anything recognizable from the comics canon, and if anything, they look more like small drone ships (not unlike the ones featured in Star Trek Beyond). Best guess: they could be Reavers ships, maybe?

It's even brighter than the last movie

The aesthetics were a big part of what made Guardians of the Galaxy so much fun, and the sequel looks to double down on that bright 1980s color scheme. It shows up in the title card for the film itself, plus in several scenes. The scene with Mantis is almost set in an Apple store of bright white, while the shot of Star-Lord in a shootout is bursting with color and personality. Even the battle with the giant squid Abilisk is noticeably brighter and more neon-tinged than most Marvel movies (which all seem to share a slightly washed-out hue).

We learned a new tune from Awesome Mix Vol. 2

The 1980s and 1970s rock soundtrack in Guardians of the Galaxy was a big part of what made it so much fun (something Suicide Squad tried to mimic with its own throwback soundtrack). Fans have been wondering exactly which songs Gunn would enlist for the second cut of the Awesome Mix soundtrack. At least part of that question is answered here, as Sweet's 1975 hit "Fox on the Run" perfectly backs up the action. The song was a Top 5 Billboard hit on the year of its release. Rumor has it "Break the Chain" by Fleetwood Mac and "Come a Little Bit Closer" by Jay and the Americans could also make the cut.

The team is actually working together pretty well

With this being the second installment in the Guardians of the Galaxy saga, the team is really starting to find its groove (not unlike how the Guardians operated in the comics). Sure, they're all a bunch of dysfunctional misfits, but they're at least working together as a team. We see Rocket and Quill quipping back and forth about duct tape, and Drax's reaction to the scene between Mantis and Quill is laugh out loud funny. The first film chronicled the genesis of this super team, but now they really seem to have come together and found a way to work together as a unit. That should make for an evolved dynamic for the Guardians, and it'll be interesting to see how those relationships have galvanized and changed.

Baby Groot still packs a punch

He might be tiny, but Baby Groot is still pretty mighty. The itty-bitty version of Groot mostly spends this trailer looking adorable and being silly, but when the action starts, Groot pulls out his old root attack move and takes out a regular-sized baddie. Not bad for a guy the size of your typical action figure. Groot's action scenes were some of the highlights of the first film, and it looks like Vol. 2 won't disappoint. Also, his little battle outfit is adorable.

Mantis seems to have the same power set as the comics

The final scene of the trailer focuses on the big reveal of Mantis, played by Pom Klementieff. Mantis is a fairly significant character in Guardians of the Galaxy comics canon, and has joined up as a team member more than a few times. In the comics, her power set includes telepathic powers, empathy and the ability to sense things about those around her. That is on full display here, as Mantis immediately senses Quill's lingering sexy feelings for Gamora (which causes one heck of a funny reaction from Drax). It's played for a good laugh, but it also shows how they'll be adapting Mantis to film. In the comics, she's also a skilled martial artist. No word on if we'll see that skill set in the film, but here's hoping.

Quill's crush on Gamora is apparently a running subplot

This is the second teaser trailer for the film, and both have featured a reference to Quill's feelings for Gamora. The first trailer included a scene between Drax and Quill as they discussed Quill's crush (Drax recommended he just find a woman as pathetic as he is, instead of pining over Thanos' daughter). In this trailer, his feelings for Gamora appear to be a key part of the group's first meeting with Mantis, as she points them out to hilarious effect. It's almost certainly no accident this plot point has shown up in both of the first trailers. Look for this (potential) love connection to certainly take up some screen time when Vol. 2 arrives in 2017.