Ronan the Accuser Main Villain in Guardians (Thanos will be there too) [updated]

Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, has confirmed a few things about Guardians of the Galaxy today. First and foremost, that Ronan the Accuser, played by Lee Pace (The Hobbit trilogy), will in fact be the main antagonist in the film. This isn’t to say that Thanos doesn’t show up, but rules out the Collector as the big (biggest) bad. Of course we’ll also get Nebula portrayed by a bald Karen Gillan (Doctor Who) giving trouble at every chance possible.

“The general answer is yes,” Kevin Feige said when asked whether Guardians of the Galaxy takes place at the same time as Marvel’s other “Phase Two” movies, Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. “It’s not exactly revealed what year or month it is in relation to the other Phase Two films. But yes, it’s the same time.” So, while it may take place at the same time, just how connected will it be to the aforementioned films? “Certainly more than the others. We’ve already said that Thanos plays a part in it and is a character in it. That in and of itself should tell you it’s connected to the other worlds.”

He also went on to add, “Ronan The Accuser is very much the main bad guy. And Thanos is lurking above it all. You will learn more about Thanos in Guardians, for sure. Certainly you’ll get more than the one turn around and smirk. You’ll get much more than that!”

There we have it, some more confirmation on the Antagonists of the Galaxy, in what I think will be the most fun Phase 2 Marvel film. We’ll know the final details next August when Guardians of the Galaxy opens galaxy wide.

UPDATE: More information from Feige’s interview with Empire magazine has surfaced, revealing individual backgrounds and motives for the characters.

[hero]”They are an unlikely band. It’s pure circumstance that brings them all together throughout the course of the movie. Rocket has been genetically and mechanically altered, he’s an experiment from one part of the galaxy. Groot is a species that happens to look like trees look, and is quite communicative if you can understand the different inflections in the way he says, “I am Groot.” Peter Quill left Earth in the mid’80s, but when we meet back up with him he’s very much a citizen of the universe. Drax has one goal and one goal only, which is to kill Ronan because of a past tragedy. When we meet Gamora, she’s a bad guy working with Ronan and Nebula and Korath, and by extension for Thanos. Gamora doesn’t necessarily like doing that anymore, and tries to find a new path for herself. But she has a reputation as the deadliest woman in the galaxy that people aren’t greeting her with open arms.”[/hero]