Plot Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a 2017 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team Guardians of the Galaxy , produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures . It is the sequel to 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy and the fifteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe . The film is written and directed by James Gunn and stars an ensemble cast featuring Chris Pratt , Zoe Saldana , Dave Bautista , Vin Diesel , Bradley Cooper , Michael Rooker , Karen Gillan , Pom Klementieff , Elizabeth Debicki , Chris Sullivan , Sean Gunn , Sylvester Stallone , and Kurt Russell . In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 , the Guardians travel throughout the cosmos as they help Peter Quill learn more about his mysterious parentage. The film was officially announced at the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con International before the theatrical release of the first film, along with Gunn's return from the first film, w