Guardians of the Galaxy Characters We Want to See

We want to see these Guardians of the Galaxy characters on the big screen!

In just under a month, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy will be back on the big screen with three new members and one Baby Groot. It’s worth noting that this version of the Guardians hasn’t even been around for ten years yet, and the team already has two feature films, an animated series, a video game, and a starship load of comics. In short, the franchise has arrived.

But as a concept, the Guardians of the Galaxy have been around since 1969; which places them in the Silver Age of Marvel Comics. Back then, the Guardians were an entirely different team whose adventures took place in the future as they attempted to free the galaxy from the alien race known as the Badoon. Of the original team, director James Gunn has only used Yondu (Michael Rooker) in the first two movies, and he really only shares the name of his comic book counterpart. It’s not even close to the same character.

Gunn has revealed he will write and direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. This shouldn’t be a surprise, given that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 has a chance to be an even bigger hit than the first film. That was a surprising blockbuster, but no one is going to be surprised this time. Looking ahead to the third film, CS has put together a list of Guardians of the Galaxy characters from both the modern team and the original Guardians that we’d like to see in Vol. 3. But feel free to share your picks for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in the comment section below!

Annihilus

Ladies and gentlemen, meet your new big bad in the Marvel Universe. With Thanos likely to be out of the way after the events of the next two Avengers movies, who could possibly step up to become the MCU’s next big threat? Enter Annihilus, the ruler of the Negative Zone and the all-powerful warlord in control of the Annihilation Wave, a nearly invincible fleet that came close to conquering the Marvel Universe.

The only downside is that Annihilus may be locked away at 20th Century Fox with the rest of the Fantastic Four cosmic villains, thanks to the comically terrible deal that Marvel signed years and years ago. But the same was true about Ego the Living Planet, and Marvel managed to use that character in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. There is also some history between Annihilus and the modern Guardians, since Star-Lord led an early version of the team in a suicide mission against the Annihilation Wave.

Adam Warlock

It’s a pretty safe bet that Adam Warlock is going to appear in one or both of the next Avengers movies. It’s pretty hard to adapt the Infinity Gauntlet storyline without one of the key players! And as Marvel heroes go, only the Silver Surfer is more cosmic than Adam Warlock.

The question is, what should Marvel do with Adam Warlock afterwards? And the answer is simple: have him join the Guardians! He has actually been a member of the team in the comics, so he’s already overdue for his part in this franchise. Warlock could also potentially be a future villain for the films, if his dark side, the Magus, eventually emerges.

Pip the Troll

Wherever Adam Warlock goes, Pip the Troll is usually close behind! Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage has been cast in Avengers: Infinity War, and it’s entirely possible that he’s playing Pip the Troll. It’s a little obvious casting, but it’s also pretty perfect. Pip’s not that far away from Tyrion Lannister, but he’s definitely cruder and ruder. He’ll fit right in on this team.

And if Pip retains his ability to teleport, that could be a very useful thing as well.

Starhawk

Trust “the one-who-knows.” Out of all of the original Guardians of the Galaxy characters, Starhawk is the one most deserving of a shot at the big screen. Aside from having a really great visual design, Starhawk seemingly has knowledge about future events, because he’s re-lived his life over and over again. Starhawk is not exactly a hero, since he’s constantly manipulating his allies to get the best possible outcome for the timeline. But that entire angle could transform the way that the team goes forward in Marvel’s Phase 4 films.

Also, Starhawk has been known to share his body with his wife, Aleta, and she can physically emerge as well. So, they’re potentially two characters in one!

Nova

The Nova Corps played a big role in the first Guardians of the Galaxy film, but they weren’t exactly like the Nova Corps from the comics. And that’s what we want: the humans and aliens in sleek costumes acting like the protectors of the universe. They’re very much like Marvel’s version of the Distinguished Competition‘s Green Lantern Corps. If any Nova makes his debut on the big screen, it should be Richard Rider, the original Nova from the comics. Sure, he’s another guy from Earth, but that just gives Star-Lord someone that he can more fully relate to… even if they don’t always get along. Plus, Rider has a romantic history with Gamora in the comics, which could also bring some tension to the team.

There is plenty of room for the modern Nova, Sam Alexander, to eventually be introduced as well. But Richard Rider should go first.

Korvac

If Annihilus is unavailable to be the next major villain, then the original Guardians already have someone lined up: Michael Korvac. In the future, Korvac was an adversary to the first Guardians team who slowly amassed the power of a God and relocated to the present, which led to the Avengers getting involved with the conflict. And Korvac was so powerful that he ended up slaughtering both teams before undoing his victory out of despair. Much to the surprise of the heroes, Korvac seemingly had benign intentions, and he committed suicide when his lover doubted him.

Korvac has resurfaced a few times since his initial storyline, and he is also one of the characters likely to still be under Marvel’s direct control when it comes to the MCU. That makes him extremely valuable in a franchise like this one.

Replica

Replica is one of the later additions to the original Guardians of the Galaxy, but she brings a lot to the table. As a shapeshifter, Replica can transform into almost any form, and her youth led many of the Guardians to take her under their tutelage. However, the biggest reason to introduce Replica is that she’s a Skrull, and the Skrulls would make excellent villains for the MCU. Like Annihilus, the Skrulls may still fall under the Fantastic Four rights. But Replica was specifically created for the Guardians of the Galaxy, so she may exempt from that terrible deal.

Charlie-27

Charlie-27 may not have the most distinct look of the original Guardians, but his personality was larger than life. He was a soldier and a pilot for the first team, as well as a native of Jupiter; which accounts for his genetically-enhanced size and strength. Charlie-27 would be the perfect buddy for Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) or even Rocket Raccoon (Sean Gunn/Bradley Cooper). Plus, who doesn’t love the name Charlie-27?

Nikki

Nikki is is one of the original Guardians of the Galaxy characters, and she was essentially the Gamora of that team. Basically, she was the heart of the Guardians, and also a sharp-shooting warrior with heat powers. There aren’t a lot of women on the current Guardians team, and we don’t expect Nebula (Karen Gillan) to stay on the team past the Avengers sequels. Nikki could help fix that imbalance, while adding a bit more idealism to the team that is bound to disappoint her.

Howard the Duck

Howard the Duck has never been a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, but James Gunn brought this on himself! By introducing Howard in the post-credits scene of the first film, Gunn has opened the door for him to reappear in the future. And as much as we’d like to see Howard settle down on Earth for some Steve Gerber-inspired misadventures, it could be a lot of fun to see his reactions to the Guardians. Howard isn’t really a fighter, so he wouldn’t be a very useful team member. However, Howard’s gift is his wit and he’s usually very funny. We’d add him to the next movie for his comedic value alone!