In much the same way that Crystal Dynamics did with Marvel’s Avengers, Eidos-Montréal is opting to distance itself from the MCU by setting its upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy game in a completely standalone version of the beloved comic book universe. Thus, Star-Lord, Drax, Gamora, Rocket, and Groot won’t be performed or voiced by those responsible for bringing their live-action/CGI counterparts to life respectively (even if the latter two look more or less the same as their MCU counterparts).
Naturally, this has led to a feeling of disconnect for some fans, especially those who consider Chris Pratt to be synonymous with Peter Quill. One fan has attempted to remedy that inescapable uncanny valley sensation by inserting Pratt’s likeness into the game. The process, known as a deepfake, has been used in myriad ways over the years, oftentimes involving the use of machine learning to achieve an eerily accurate outcome.
While YouTuber Stryder HD doesn’t detail their individual process, the end result is fantastic. You can check out a scene in which Quill and the rest of his ragtag crew of mercenaries are attempting to formulate a plan via the embed above.
Impressive to say the least, then, but we can’t help but wonder if Stryder has any plans to do the same for Star-Lord’s friends. Due to their markedly different physical appearance and shape, inserting Zoe Saldana (Gamora) or Dave Bautista’s (Drax) likeness into Eidos-Montréal’s adaptation could prove to be exponentially more difficult. We’ll be keeping an eye out either way, so watch this space.
Guardians of the Galaxy releases on Oct. 26 for Xbox One, Series X|S, PS4, PS5 and PC.
