Alyssa Milano Responds To That Guardians Of The Galaxy Reference

James Gunn's "Guardians of the Galaxy" came as a breath of fresh air back in 2014, introducing fans to a brand new gang of heroes that helped expand the cosmic side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Although the team wasn't quite as iconic as the Avengers in the comics, they still had a wealth of backstories that were ripe for the big-screen treatment. Movie audiences fell in love with the riotous squad, which includes Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), and Groot (Vin Diesel).

Of course, the 1980s soundtrack also went down a treat, rising to the number one spot on the Billboard 200 back in 2014. The film is crammed with references to the neon decade as it was in the '80s that Star-Lord was plucked from Earth by Yondu (Michael Rooker) as part of a job for Ego (Kurt Russell). Even as he grew older in space, Star-Lord remained obsessed with the films and TV shows he watched as a kid back on his home planet, including Kevin Bacon's "Footloose."

But one of the biggest references to the 1980s is the fact Star-Lord's ship is called the "Milano" after actor Alyssa Milano, who was a teen idol at the time thanks to her roles in "Who's the Boss," "Old Enough," "Commando," and "Speed Zone." It has been years since audiences first saw Star-Lord pilot the Milano in "Guardians of the Galaxy," and in a recent interview, Alyssa Milano has opened up about how it feels to be the namesake of such an important part of the MCU.

Since the hero's ship is literally named after the actor, it would be easy to assume Marvel Studios had touched base with Alyssa Milano about her cameo of sorts. But when Screen Rant spoke to the star ahead of her role in Netflix's "Brazen," Milano revealed, "I had NO idea." That being said, she's not complaining about having a minor role in the MCU. 

Milano went on to say, "It's pretty cool. It is. It is pretty cool. One of the more cool things, I think, that's happened in my life." Exactly how long Milano was in the dark about the reference isn't clear. James Gunn took to Twitter to confirm the Easter egg back in 2014, saying, "[Star-Lord's] ship The Milano is named after his awesome childhood crush." He even tagged Milano in the tweet. During a 2017 Reddit AMA, Milano was even asked about the reference by a fan, to which she responded, "Pretty much the coolest thing EVER!" So, it seems that even if she didn't hear about it right away, the news eventually reached her ears. 

Fans will remember that the Milano is destroyed at the end of "Guardians of the Galaxy," but Star-Lord comes up with another suitable name for the ship that the Nova Corps give him: the Benatar. Yes, he names his second ship after rock star Pat Benatar. Now, someone needs to ask her if she knows about the Marvel reference...