One of the best things about home video releases is seeing the behind the scenes stuff and the scenes that were filmed but never made it into the final movie. Chris Pratt has one scene in particular that he really wishes hadn't been deleted. While the actor says he understands why the scene didn't make the final cut of the film, there were other changes to the story which meant that the scene in question didn't work, but he still thought the moment was really funny. As Pratt describes it...
There's a scene with a statue that was cut from the movie, and I know exactly why the scene doesn't work in the movie. Originally, Quill was going to be really excited to go and see Ego. That was in the script -- but it wasn't until we did additional photography that we determined Quill would be a little cynical about it and that Gamora would have to change his mind. We adjusted a few things to deepen the story in additional photography, and the scene with the statue didn't work. ... Ego built the statue for us. It was essentially of Peter Quill as Star-Lord; he is larger than life and all the other Guardians are really, really small. Quill looks at it and says, 'It's perfect!' It's a fun, funny scene -- but then we developed the story and it didn't work. It's exciting to know that audiences will finally be able to see it now.
In addition to the description of the scene, which Chris Pratt gave in an interview to Disney Home Entertainment, we also learn about a small, but significant change to the way the story of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was originally written. Apparently, Star-Lord was going to be much more excited about meeting his father and traveling to his home, before it was decided that Peter Quill simply wouldn't have reacted to the situation that way. It shows how ideas can change even in the middle of filming, and how sometimes scenes, regardless of how good they might be on their own, end up on the cutting room floor simply because they no longer work in the story as a whole.
It was probably the right move. In the final film, Peter Quill isn't entirely sure about Ego. Gamora ends up convincing Quill to give Ego a chance, which then leads to a great father-son moment on Ego's planet which is actually quite touching, which then makes the truth hit you in the gut that much harder when the audience learns it.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is available digitally on HD, 4K Ultra HD and Disney Movies Anywhere right now, and physically on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD on August 22.
