Eidos-Montréal’s Art Director reveals inspiration behind the character design of the five core Guardians in this new developer insight video from Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
MONTRÉAL, CANADA (August 12, 2021) – Today Eidos-Montréal has released a new dev insight video revealing the inspiration behind character design in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Following on from the global reveal last June at E3, the deep dive explores the designs of each of the core members of the unlikely team of misfits: Star-Lord (a.k.a Peter Quill), Gamora, Drax, Rocket and Groot.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy allows players to experience a fresh take on the iconic Guardians, and behind-the-scenes commentary from Bruno Gauthier-Leblanc, Art Director at Eidos-Montréal, reveals the care taken to ensure the design of each character balanced inspiration from the wider Marvel universe with the original narrative of the game.
Bruno Gauthier-Leblanc says: “When designing the Guardians, it was important they remained true to the narrative we had built while still being instantly recognisable as the Guardians of the Galaxy fans know and love. We combined inspiration from Marvel comic lore with our own character backstories to craft new visuals for this fun and dysfunctional family, infusing each Guardian with specific design aspects that also tie into gameplay.”
Bruno reveals the rock-and-roll space pirate persona of the self-proclaimed leader of the Guardians inspired Star-Lord’s bold appearance. His outfit is peppered with Easter eggs from his ‘80s childhood, including tributes to his namesake and favorite musicians, rock band Star-Lord.
Drax the Destroyer’s appearance tells of his extensive combat history, with each katathian scarification on his body representing a victory. Bruno explains his individual character design also links to the environment of his home planet of Katath, where architecture mirrors the circular nature of Drax’s battle tributes.
The character design team created a strong, powerful look for Gamora, the Deadliest Woman in the Galaxy, drawing on comic inspiration for her striking black and white suit and adding some deadly embellishments to make her battle-ready at any given moment.
Finally, Bruno explains how the relationships between characters influenced certain visual choices. The designs of Rocket and Groot are connected to represent their friendship, with Rocket wearing a bead of Groot in his goatee. These interwoven designs also allow them to work in unison during combat, with a harness on Groot’s back enabling Rocket to use him as a turret.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy will be available on PlayStation®5 console, PlayStation®4 console, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles, PC, and streaming via GeForce NOW on October 26, 2021. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Cloud Version for Nintendo Switch is also coming to select regions October 26.
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About Marvel Entertainment
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media for over eighty years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games, and digital media
About Eidos-Montréal
Established in 2007, Eidos-Montréal™ is a premiere developer of interactive entertainment based on new intellectual properties and beloved franchises including the acclaimed Tomb Raider® and Deus Ex® series. Renowned as master storytellers, the studio builds immersive worlds and adventures that create lasting memories for players across the globe. Eidos-Montréal crafts its multiple interactive projects with close-knit teams in a hybrid work environment, keeping their focus on creativity and technological innovation.
Eidos-Montréal and its network of studios, Eidos-Sherbrooke™ and Eidos-Shanghai™, are part of the Square Enix® group of companies.
About Square Enix, Inc.
Square Enix, Inc. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX®, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content throughout the Americas as part of the Square Enix group of companies. Square Enix, Inc. is affiliated with a global network of leading development studios such as Crystal Dynamics® and Eidos Montréal™. The Square Enix group of companies boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 163 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 83 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 84 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix, Inc. is a U.S.-based, wholly owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
