Could Ego return to the MCU?

The following article contains spoilers for The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special has been released on Disney Plus. Written and directed by James Gunn, who helmed the other entries in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, the special adds quite a nice amount of lore to the series in addition to being a wholesome holiday tale. We finally know the story behind how Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) acquired his guns, and how Yondu (Michael Rooker) started collecting his knick-knacks. The special also introduced Maria Bakalova’s Cosmo, who had appeared without a voice previously.

In addition to all of this, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special also dropped a bombshell regarding one of its characters, Mantis (Pom Klementieff). She was revealed to be Star-Lord’s half-sister, as she was also one of Ego’s children. Mantis and Drax (Dave Bautista) had a few conversations regarding Ego in the special, so it might be worth unpacking if the Celestial might make a return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

Will Ego return to the MCU?

Ego was played by Kurt Russell, and he was the primary antagonist of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 after it was revealed that he killed Star-Lord’s mother, as well as many of his other children. At the end of the movie, like many other villains in the MCU, he was killed by the heroes, and his evil plan to use Peter was thwarted. Could he eventually return to the MCU? Maybe. It is unlikely that the character would return in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as it feels like Star-Lord has settled that area of his life. It would be odd if they were to reuse the same villain in two films in a row, and it would not make sense for Kurt Russell to return for a cameo appearance unless a post-credits scene were to set up something larger for Ego. 

Even though the character died in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, he was a Celestial and could make a return in some shape or form. We shouldn’t rule out Ego reappearing in some sort of sequel to The Eternals, and you shouldn’t rule anybody out for the upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars as anyone from Marvel’s past could easily return in the movie. Still, it is quite unlikely that Ego will reform somehow and make a return to the MCU after his death. It might be better if Star-Lord and Mantis were just left alone in peace.

Catch The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special on Disney Plus now, and check out Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 when it releases on May 5, 2023.