‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ continues James Gunn’s trend of casting MCU veterans in different roles

The Marvel Cinematic Universe may be the premier hotbed of the world’s genre fiction creatives these days, but no touch is quite as recognizable as James Gunn‘s. He may have the luxury of working with a group of characters like the Guardians of the Galaxy, who practically have creative freedom baked right into them, but there’s no denying the very distinct impact that Gunn’s MCU films have made in the hearts of fans, and it’s all going to culminate into one misty-eyed farewell with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 next week.

Indeed, with stylish soundtracks, Stanley Kubrick references, and some of the most charming writing in the MCU’s library, Gunn’s Guardians franchise has plenty of quirks to spare, but among the most curious is the filmmaker’s tendency to get MCU veterans to double up on their list of roles. We know Sean Gunn pulls double duty as Kraglin and the mo-cap for Rocket Raccoon, and Linda Cardellini, who’s previously loaned her talents to the MCU as Hawkeye’s wife Laura Barton, is set to voice Lylla the anthropomorphic otter in Gunn’s threequel.

But Gunn’s not finished there, as a third MCU veteran has recently revealed themselves as yet another dual-role daredevil, and it’s none other than pop culture powerhouse Tara Strong, who voices Miss Minutes in Loki, and who remained coy on her Vol. 3 role when asked about her presence at the Hollywood premiere of the film.

Well, I might be in it… It’s not Miss Minutes. I can’t say who it is, or… I could, but then I’d have to prune you… I’m going to turn back time with Miss Minutes.

It’s hard to say whether Strong will be anchoring a cheer-worthy cameo or something a bit heavier. Either way, if he wasn’t full speed ahead with DC Studios, we’d say James Gunn wouldn’t have rested until everyone wound up with two Marvel roles in their portfolio. Perhaps he’ll egg Chris Pratt into loaning his voice to a CGI Mephisto in the future (which would more than confirm our place in the darkest timeline).

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will release in theaters on May 5.