Farscape Is Responsible For Modern Superhero Movies
For a sci-fi show that’s been off the air for almost two decades by now, Farscape has had an outsize influence on genre television and, as it turns out, the Marvel universe. If you immediately think of how Guardians of the Galaxy’s cast of misfits with a human captain is just a little similar to Crichton and his crew, then well, you’d be completely correct. James Gunn, the man behind the Guardians movies and now in charge of the DC Universe, is a huge fan of the Australian series.
James Gunn Confirmed What We All Were Thinking
Back when Guardians of the Galaxy was hitting theaters, fans asked Gunn if Farscape had any influence on his vision of the, let’s be honest, D-tier Marvel team, and to his credit, he replied, “People are always bringing up a million films asking me if they’re inspirations. Usually the answer is no. In the case of Farscape it is most definitely YES..” The similarities are incredibly obvious, but if a long-time nerd like Gunn was to be influenced by anything, at least it was one of the best shows ever made.
The Similarities Are Telling
That opinion is, again, from James Gunn, who also has mentioned that Farscape is one of his favorite shows of all time, to the point that he geeked out meeting Ben Browder while representing Marvel at a convention. Browder played John Crichton, both versions, the human that finds himself sucked through a wormhole and now living on the complete opposite side of the galaxy from Earth (clearly Starlord).
Joining him is the colorful crew consisting of Chiana, the white alien talented fighter (that’s Gamora), Ka D’Argo, the loud and proud fighter that lost everything he ever held dear (very Drax), Jool, the smart orange alien that isn’t very good in a fight (Mantis), and the strangest connection, Aeryn Sun, the militant Peacekeeper who’s life wasn’t her own for decades (oddly, the Rocket proxy).
The Farscape Effect
Going a few degrees away from Farscape, Guardians of the Galaxy proved to be one of Marvel’s biggest hits and influenced other films in the franchise by proving the mix of humor, old-school rock and roll, and genuine emotion could work. Thor: Ragnarok pulled it off, but DC’s Suicide Squad definitely did not….until The Suicide Squad, when Gunn came in to show them how to do it the right way. What would modern superhero movies look like if, instead, Gunn was a major fan of, say, Lexx or, even worse, Lost?
Ben Browder In The Marvel Universe
Bringing things full circle, James Gunn wrote a part in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 specifically for Ben Browder, but you might not recognize him right away. Browder played the Sovereign Admiral, the gold-colored second-in-command underneath Ayesha, tasked with capturing the Guardians after they stole from the Sovereign. According to Gunn, the part was written specifically for Browder, a grand gesture that brought the Farscape star into the Marvel universe.
The Tiny Puppet Show That Quietly Changed Hollywood
Now that Gunn is in charge of DC, there’s no telling how far the influence of Farscape is going to spread beyond the confines of Marvel. We’ll have to pay attention to how the Green Lantern Corps looks under his guidance, or maybe the Sovereign Seven will get pulled out of mothballs and re-tooled to resemble the crew of Moya. No matter what happens, back when Rockne S. Bannon first partnered with The Jim Henson Company for an Australia-based series, no one could have imagined, decades later, the impact it would have on the biggest blockbusters in history.
