James Gunn Explains Why The Collector Isn’t In Guardians of The Galaxy 2

Though Benicio Del Toro's The Collector played a significant part in Marvel's original Guardians of the Galaxy, the Elder of the Universe won't be making any appearances in the film's sequel.

Speaking on a Facebook Live Stream on his page, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 director James Gunn explained why he chose to keep The Collector off of the film. Though fans enjoyed Del Toro's rendition of The Collector, it seems like the Elder doesn't have any part to play in the upcoming sequel.

"I just talked to Benicio a couple weeks ago," Gunn said. "He's a great actor, a great guy. The Collector wasn't right for the story of Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 because, although it's an incredibly enormous film, it's a much smaller film in certain ways with few characters. So, he just didn't fit in."

The film franchise has been expanding its reach, adding in more characters to The Guardians like Pom Klementieff's Mantis, Karen Gillan's Nebula, and Michael Rooker's Yondu. Plus, with Kurt Russell playing Ego The Living Planet and Elizabeth Debicki as Kismet, Guardians of the GalaxyVol. 2 may already have too many hands on board to make space for The Collector. Of course Gunn could have added a short cameo for the Elder, however it might not have fit the tone and direction of the film.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 flies into theaters on May 5, 2017.

Read: Drax Needs A Clean-Up In Guardians Of The Galaxy 2 Set Photo