Warning: This article contains full spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
James Gunn, the cast, and everyone else at Marvel Studios has made no secret of the fact that, while Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is definitely the final chapter in the saga of this iteration of the cosmic super-team, there is a strong chance the Guardians will return with a new lineup at some point in the MCU’s future.
Sure enough, the brand-new threequel sets up the Guardians 2.0 by introducing a couple of new heroes into the mix. Obviously, Adam Warlock is the most notable fresh addition, but there’s another key player we weren’t expecting to appear in the movie who could go on to have just as much of an impact on the MCU going forward.
Spoilers incoming!
The character in question is Phyla-Vell, one of the super-evolved, genetically engineered children created by the High Evolutionary in his twisted bid to form the perfect society. Like Rocket before her, however, Phyla has a good heart despite her dark origins and ends up as one of the new Guardians lineup. But who is Phyla-Vell in Marvel lore and how is the MCU version different?
Who is Phyla-Vell in the Marvel universe?
Much as James Gunn did for the rest of the Guardians, the MCU’s Phyla has a much simplified and entirely different backstory than her comic book counterpart. In the source material, Phyla is essentially the daughter of the original Captain Marvel, Mar-Vell, and the Titan Elysius, although she was actually constructed by her mother using cosmic forces after the rebirth of the universe. In this way, she’s the sister of Genis-Vell and, like her brother and “father,” she has also taken on the Captain Marvel mantle.
Her most commonly known alter ego, however, is Quasar, after inheriting the Quantum Bands from the original Quasar, Wendell Vaughn. In addition to all the usual superpowers, like super-strength, speed, agility, durablity and so on, Phyla is what’s called an “energy sponge,” meaning she can absorb any energy flung at her and turn it back on her opponents in the form of energy blasts. In addition, her Quantum Bands give the ability to manipulate energy on a stellar level.
Guardians 3 slips in a couple of very subtle nods to two major parts of Phyla’s comics story. For starters, the fact she forms a father/daughter-like bond with Drax harks back to her popular romance with his daughter Moondragon on the page. Similarly, it’s ironic that she’s teammates with Adam Warlock seeing as his evil half, Magus, was the one who killed her in the comics.
It’s unclear exactly where the Guardians go from here, but there’s certainly endless potential for Phyla-Vell in the MCU.
