Farscape Star Calls Out Guardians Of The Galaxy
In some ways, James Gunn’s first Guardians of the Galaxy film has been the most important genre picture of the last decade if only because it led to so many other movies (from Suicide Squad to Borderlands) trying to bite its style. However, according to the creator of one very popular sci-fi show, it’s actually Guardians of the Galaxy that took most of its stylistic cues from somewhere else. According to Farscape star Ben Browder, James Gunn stole this TV show’s premise when crafting his seminal entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Guardians Of The Galaxy Is A Lot Like Farscape
Why would Farscape star Ben Browder think that James Gunn basically copied his homework? If you’ve never seen the series, Farscape is centered around a human (Ben Browder) who gets stuck on the other side of the galaxy and must team up with colorful aliens and criminals in order to save the galaxy from one peril after another. Along the way, the series really leans into the “found family” vibe that Gunn would utilize to much success in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies.
Ben Browder Confronted James Gunn
It’s easy to see at least surface-level similarities between these two sci-fi stalwarts, and Browder went so far as to confront James Gunn at the Saturn Awards about a decade ago. It wasn’t exactly an angry confrontation: according to the Farscape star, he expressed love for Guardians of the Galaxy, introduced himself to Gunn, and heard the director reply “I know who you are.” To this, Browder cheekily said he thought Gunn must know who he was because “you stole my socks,” to which an equally dry Gunn responded, “Yeah, I did.”
Every Story “Borrows” From Another
Browder doesn’t bear James Gunn any ill-will for the success of the Guardians of the Galaxy films, and he later acknowledged that Farscape borrowed heavily from sci-fi staples such as Star Trek and Star Wars and that Gunn borrowing some influence from the quirky show is just part of how these ideas pass “through the generations.”
As for Gunn, it’s already clear that he didn’t hold a grudge against Browder for this mildest of confrontations. Look closely while watching Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, and you’ll see Browder playing a gold-skinned Sovereign Admiral.
Guardians Of The Galaxy Rejuvenated The MCU
Guardians of the Galaxy felt so fresh and new when it premiered back in 2014. Before that, the MCU was mostly comprised of unambiguously good guys, and even if team-ups like Avengers had a bit of friction, there was no mistaking that this was a gathering of heroes. By comparison, Guardians of the Galaxy joined hapless human thief Star-Lord with alien petty criminals and a lethal assassin together and gave them the hilariously improbable job of…well…guarding the galaxy.
Farscape’s Influence Is Something To Be Proud Of
As for us, we think the Farscape influence on Guardians of the Galaxy is fairly obvious, but that influence was just one of the factors that made that film into a breakout Marvel hit. If anything, Browder’s tale serves as a reminder that James Gunn is the master of taking countless pop culture influences and synthesizing them into something new. Here’s hoping he brings that same level of creative magic to Warner Bros. as he introduces us to the new DCU with Superman next year.
