Now that the Guardians off the Galaxy trilogy has finished, James Gunn’s answering burning questions from MCU fans. After almost a decade, we know what a particular reference in one of the best science fiction movies means, and there’s a cute backstory.
Gunn posted about it on Threads, where a fan asked him about Tibius Lark, a mysterious MCU character mentioned by the Nova Corps but never seen. Turns out, they were a carer for Groot before Rocket entered the picture.
“Tibius Lark, Groot, and Rocket were all imprisoned in a a deep well in the ground. Tibius was on the verge of dying. He explained to Rocket he had been caring for Groot for years,” Gunn said. The director explains he was working on a short film that would’ve included all this, but the first Guardians took too much of his time. Now we feel a bit cheated about losing what sounds like a great superhero movie!
Gunn breaks down Tibius further. “He was a former zookeeper in a shitty galactic-side zoo,” the filmmaker says. “He explained he had saved Groot, who was on exhibit there, and that Groot was a loyal friend. He asked Rocket to please take care of him, and then he died.”
In the end, Tibius became the unsung hero of the Guardians of the Galaxy. “The guards above ground heard something rumbling and they turned and saw Rocket and Groot bursting up from the ground, Rocket on Groot’s shoulder, and in Rocket’s hands was a machine gun made from Tibius Lark’s body,” Gunn states. “He shot all the guards and they escaped and were together until they met the Guardians. That’s who Tibius Lark was.”
Who the hell is cutting so many onions on the internet? Tibius Lark deserved his moment in the limelight! We’re disappointed we never got to see him become a formal part of the Guardians of the Galaxy cast, but maybe the legend suits him better.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 drew a curtain on the cosmic heroes, for now anyway. You can read about how it is in our Guardians of the Galaxy 3 review, and see a full breakdown of what goes on in our Guardians of the Galaxy 3 ending explained.
Be sure to keep an eye on our Guardians of the Galaxy 4 release date guide to see when the new movie might come out. For what else the franchise has going on, we have lists on upcoming Marvel movies and Marvel movies in order. Right now, we’re look at The Marvels release date later this year.
For more of the finest films that do exist, we have a best movies list, and a new on Disney Plus guide for what else the House of Mouse currently has on offer.