'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' spoilers: How Kurt Russell ended up on sequel

Certainly one of the sources of excitement around "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" is the fact that Kurt Russell will be in it, and will even play the role of Star-Lord's (Chris Pratt) father. As it turns out, Pratt himself was the brain behind this casting choice.

During an interview with Empire, director James Gunn revealed that he was not even thinking of Russell in choosing an actor to play Peter Quill's dad, Ego the Living Planet.

"He was actually not in my head initially, but one day Chris suggested him, and I would have been really disappointed if he'd said no. Hey, if you have to cast anything, Kurt's a pretty good way to go," Gunn said.

The identity of Star-Lord's father was one of the biggest questions surrounding "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2." It was not expected to be revealed early (it was revealed at the San Diego Comic-Con).

The idea of a planet as Peter's dad did not make fans happy as well as what they think was a premature reveal of the great mystery.

"Knowing who Quill's father is will not diminish your enjoyment of the film in any way," Gunn said in an earlier Facebook Question and Answer (Q&A).

"Ego [is] the emotional center of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 from the beginning to the end, and is not a twist. And believe me - there are many, many more surprises we still have in store for you from Vol. 2—hopefully the biggest of which is how much you'll love the movie itself," he continued.

With Peter finally meeting his father in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," Pratt said the question now is whether Ego the Living Planet actually lives up to the expectations that he had in his mind when he did not know him.

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" will be in cinemas May 5, 2017.