James Gunn Confirms What We Suspected About Peter Quill's Family

One of the prime reasons why the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to succeed is because of how interconnected it is. Audiences flock to each new entry, waiting to see how each story might expand the universe. The franchise immediately began to reference and nod other corners of the universe with "Iron Man," which kicked off the MCU. These nods and Easter eggs have expanded since then, with characters often crossing over into different films. It's come to a point where entries from totally different characters are segueing into one another — just see how "Spider-Man: No Way Home" directly feeds into "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness."

The MCU exists across multiple time periods, realities, and timelines, making it one of the most complex sagas of all time. Despite all that, the creative team has managed to connect each and every little detail together, even when things aren't explicit. Seeing as everything is so connected and dependent on one another, it's easy to imagine that someone from the past is directly related to someone from the present timeline.

For example, in "Spider-Man: Homecoming," Kenneth Choi plays Principal Morita, the direct descendant of Jim Morita, a role he also played as part of the Howling Commandos during WWII in "Captain America: The First Avenger." It turns out that a similar connection could potentially link Star-Lord himself, Peter Quill, to Captain America's debut.

Before being cast as Meredith Quill in writer-director James Gunn's sci-fi epic "Guardians of the Galaxy," Laura Haddock briefly appeared as a fan of Steve Rogers in "Captain America: The First Avenger." At the time of the star-spangled hero's debut, Marvel's upcoming plans didn't include introducing the Guardians of the Galaxy, so it must have been a surprise to see James Gunn bring the star back for the space opera.

Marvel fans have long wondered if Meredith, the mother of Chris Pratt's Peter Quill, was related to the woman who briefly appeared in "Captain America: The First Avenger." Could Peter Quill's mother be an Eternal, who hasn't aged? Tossing speculation aside, Gunn cheekily confirmed on Twitter that the woman seen in the '40s is the grandmother of Peter Quill — kind of. "That's Quill's grandma," the filmmaker replied to a fan asking about the resemblance. "I just made this up."

Of course, just because he made it up on the fly doesn't mean that it can't be true! It's entirely possible that Peter Quill's grandmother could have seen the patriotic hero on tour. The vast and interconnected nature of the MCU does invite the audience to pay attention to small details like this. While this double-dip of a casting decision could be hand-waved away, it can be seen as a perfect way to bridge Peter Quill's family history with Captain America's origins.