10 Characters Who Could Appear In Future Guardians Of The Galaxy Movies

With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 arriving in cinemas in just a few short weeks, it's a good time to be a fan of Marvel's dysfunctional band of cosmic protectors. Admittedly, there was some worry that the magic wouldn't work the second time around, but early reactions seem to confirm that the sequel will be every bit as good as the first outing. But just why is the first movie so damn good, and why did this once little-known property strike such a chord with moviegoers everywhere? The answer has to be the core five characters, brilliantly crafted by writer/director James Gunn on the page and expertly brought to life by the cast. By the end of the film, we were completely rooting for Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket and Groot as they made for such an entertaining, eclectic bunch. Thankfully, it's been confirmed that Gunn is staying on board for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which we know will be the end for this current iteration of the team. Marvel will have their work cut out for them then in replacing Peter Quill's gang, but the following ten characters might just be the way to go. If some of these heroes make it into either Vol. 3 or Vol. 4, the studio could be onto another winner. 10) Iron Man Yes, we mean Tony Stark, the one and only Iron Man. With Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana and the rest of the original Guardians that we've grown to love vacating the franchise, the new iteration of the team will really need that special something to draw people back. And who better than the father of the MCU himself? This isn't as off-the-wall an idea as it seems, as Tony has joined the Guardians' roster in the comics. After the Avengers teamed up with the Guardians to stop Thanos, Iron Man was invited on to the team and he accepted. He even got a swanky new armour upgrade while he was at it. Seeing as Robert Downey Jr. is happily flitting about the MCU these days - last year he was in a Captain America movie, this year he's in Spider-Man: Homecoming - it really wouldn't be much of a stretch to send him off into space at some point in the future. Maybe he gets a taste for the cosmic life in Avengers: Infinity War and decides not to return to Earth? 9) Captain Universe Captain Universe isn't so much a single character than a persona that can switch from host to host. The personification of the Uni-Power, an extra-dimensional force that imbues a person with just about every superpower you can think of, Captain Universe would make for a fascinating new addition to explore in the Guardians' cosmic universe. Over the years, he has inhabited a number of hosts, including a bunch of pre-existing characters. Everyone from Doctor Strange to Spider-Man to Daredevil to Deadpool have wielded the Uni-Power on occasion. Captain Universe wouldn't serve as a new member of the team, then, but probably function as the Macguffin of the movie, in much the same way that the Orb did in the first film. Now that we mention it, the MCU will need a big overarching threat for Phase 4, seeing as the long-gestating Infinity Stones storyline will have been wrapped up. The quest to stop the Uni-Power falling into the wrong hands could easily fit the bill, and the arc could all kick off in Guardians 3 or 4. 8) Angela Originally, Angela was created by Neil Gaiman for Todd McFarlane's Spawn universe over at Image Comics. After heated legal battle between the pair, however, Gaiman got back the rights to his character and then promptly sold her off to Marvel. Over at Image, Angela was an angel and bounty hunter but, after joining the Marvel universe thanks to some omniversal realignment in 2012, it's revealed that she's actually Aldriff - the long lost sister of Thor and Loki. She then went on to be a firm and trusted member of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Given the popularity of the Thor/Loki dynamic, it makes a lot of sense to add another of Odin's kids into the mix. An Asgardian warrior every bit as tough as her brother, it could be fun to explore how Angela lives in the shadow of her more famous siblings in a future Guardians movie. 7) Beta Ray Bill Another entry, another character connected with Thor. Hey, he is the Marvel universe's premier alien superhero - he gets around the universe a lot. Despite being - or, perhaps, because he is - such a weird character, Beta Ray Bill is a firm fan favourite and many have been calling for him to turn up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for years. One of the Korbinite race, the horse-faced Bill is one of the few non-Asgardians to be deemed worthy enough to wield Thor's hammer Mjolnir. Hence the familiar fashion sense. While Beta Ray Bill hasn't actually served on the Guardians team in the comics, he's part of the Annihilators, a group of heroes from various alien races who likewise protect the galaxy. It could be a lot of fun to see the Guardians go up against a rival space-based superhero team in the future, don't you think? 6) Quasar You know Green Lantern, right? Well, Quasar is pretty much the Marvel universe's version of the Emerald Knight. Quasar's powers come from the Quantum Bands, a pair of wristbands which give the wearer extensive light based powers. Whoever wears them is designated the Protector of the Universe. A bunch of different heroes have donned the Quantum Bands and become Quasar over the years, but the best choice for the films has to be Wendell Vaughn. As an everyman who's thrown into the world of cosmic danger and adventure, Vaughn would be the perfect choice to lead the second iteration of the team in the wake of Star-Lord. In the comics, Wendell Vaughn originally worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. but was deemed unfit for field duty. It would be a canny bit of world-building and foreshadowing if Vaughn could be dropped into, say, a Captain America movie before becoming Quasar in Guardians of the Galaxy. 5) Major Victory The Guardians of the Galaxy movies are mostly drawn from the modern incarnation of the team, but there are some nods to the original, very different iteration that debuted in 1969. Most significantly, Michael Rooker's character Yondu was one of the members of the original Guardians. So far, he's the only one to make it into the movies, though, so why not introduce another in an upcoming sequel? Major Victory AKA Vance Astro has a complex backstory, but simply put, he's a human astronaut with the power of psychokinesis who's flung into the 30th century. In modern comics, the Guardians find him back in the 21st century, cryogenically frozen and possessing Captain America's shield. The MCU hasn't properly dived into time travel yet, but the comic book excesses of the Guardians of the Galaxy would be the perfect place to do it. Even better, it would bring in a character who's got a rich history with the team at the same time. 4) Bug One of the character's conspicuous for their absence in the big screen Guardians line-up is Bug. The insect-alien was one of the main members of the proto-Guardians team from 2007's Annihilation: Conquest and, though he isn't a founding member, he did later join the group proper. In the comics, Bug is kind of the third wacky, oddball character after Rocket and Groot, as he brings a lot of humour to the team. That's not something the current line-up is lacking, of course, but there's still definitely a place for Bug somewhere in the ensemble. Unfortunately, we might be hoping in vain with this one. James Gunn has admitted before that he wanted to put Bug into the first Guardians, but 20th Century Fox currently have the rights to the character. Still, let's hope something can be sorted out in the near future. After all, it's not like Fox are using him at the moment. 3) Moondragon The reasons why Moondragon should turn up in a future Guardians of the Galaxy movie speak for themselves. In the comics, she's the daughter of Drax the Destroyer. How can Gunn resist pairing her up with her dad? Drax's whole motivation in the movies is to destroy Ronan the Accuser for the brutal killing of his family. But what if it turned out that his daughter hadn't actually died, or he had another daughter somewhere else out there in the galaxy? In the comics, Heather Douglas - she's human because, in the source material, Drax is actually a transformed Earthling rather than an alien - has an intense, humourless personality. Much like her father does at the start of GotG. It could be a lot of fun then for the mellowed Drax to meet someone much like he used to be. As for what she could bring to the team, Moondragon has a bunch of useful skills, including telepathy, martial arts prowess and expertise in genetics. The only issue is that the team already has a badass, terse bald woman in Karen Gillan's Nebula. Still, I'm sure they could make room for another. 2) Phyla-Vell Marvel fans would surely love to see Mar-Vell, the original Captain Marvel, turn up in the MCU. Seeing as the studio has gone with his successor Carol Danvers instead, though, it remains to be seen whether that's going to happen. Instead, his daughter Phyla-Vell would be a great addition to the Guardians line-up. Phyla is a significant heroine in the Marvel comics universe, as she takes up the mantle of both Captain Marvel and Quasar. Alternatively, she also goes under the original codename of Martyr. Whatever her superhero identity, Phyla is an important member of the team on the page. For a while, she even served as Star-Lord's second-in-command. It's also worth a mention that Phyla and Moondragon are lovers in the comics. If they both turned up in a future movie, the MCU could have its first gay relationship on its hands. It's about time, don't you think? 1) Adam Warlock Adam Warlock AKA Him has long been rumoured to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not least because the character's cocoon seemed to have popped up in the Collector's collection in the first Guardians movie. More than that though, he plays an important role in the battle with Thanos in the comics. It wouldn't too surprising, then, if he hatches out of his cocoon at some point during Avengers: Infinity War. After that, he would be a natural fit for the next iteration of the Guardians of the Galaxy, as the character's a founding member of the modern team on the page. As one of the most powerful heroes in all of the Marvel universe, Adam would be a fascinating new addition. From a character dynamics point of view, he tends to take himself quite seriously, so the rest of the team would have a lot of fun poking holes in his ego. The inclusion of Warlock would also give the franchise a rich new mythology to explore. For instance, the enemy of his introductory movie could be Magus, his evil twin. Tell us, which characters would you like to see join the Guardians of the Galaxy series going forward? As always, sound off in the comments section with your thoughts!