When Disney decided to fire James Gunn after some old Tweets resurfaced, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was put on hold. The cast spoke out in his defence, signing an open letter asking for him to be re-hired, while fans were equally as keen to see the filmmaker step back behind the camera for the threequel.
Ultimately, the studio did the right thing and brought Gunn back for Vol. 3, but not before he'd signed up to take the helm of The Suicide Squad for DC Entertainment and Warner Bros.
Production on the next Guardians of the Galaxy movie is now set to kick off later this year, and Gunn has now reiterated past comments that he's planning for this movie to his last in the franchise. We've heard before that he views Vol. 3 as a conclusion to the trilogy, and since he's also suggested that it's going to be an emotional adventure, it could end the stories of some of the characters, too.
There's no reason to believe that the Guardians won't continue to be part of the MCU in some form, of course, and many different heroes (and villains) have joined the team over the years in the comics.
However, if and when a Vol. 4 is released, Gunn clearly won't be at the helm...
Click on the "Next" button below to check out the characters
we want to see in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and beyond!
10. Cosmo
You thought a gun toting talking raccoon was crazy? Well, how about a telepathic Russian space dog? The canine hero is the head of security on the space station known as Knowhere, and later becomes a liaison to the Guardians of the Galaxy, assisting them in plotting their passport destinations and travelling to trouble spots in the universe via the Continuum Cortex.
He actually made a couple of cameo appearances in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy as part of The Collector's collection, but that was pretty much it, and he certainly didn't get the chance to talk.
Thanos decimated Knowhere in Avengers: Infinity War, but Cosmo could easily be in charge of an updated version of the space station, or even another key location in the Marvel Cosmic Universe.
9. Quasar
Wendell Vaughn was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent deemed unfit for field work by superiors who believed that he lacked the necessary killer instinct to succeed. During his first assignment at a research facility performing experiments on alien "Quantum Bands," Wendell was forced to don them when the criminal scientists A.I.M. attacked.
Using the bands’ power to generate energy constructs to fend off the attackers, he realised what it would take to unleash their power, and having a flexible will ultimately made all the difference.
Ultimately, his lack of a killer instinct made all the difference. While far from an A-List character, Quasar has potential, and Marvel Studios could obviously choose to use the female version of the character Avril Kincaid (which would bring even more diversity into this shared world).
8. The Beyonder
Secret Wars remains a game-changing event for Marvel Comics, and one the Russo Brothers are desperate to bring to the big screen. Of course, The Beyonder could easily be introduced before then.
In that famous storyline, he created "Battleworld" and pit Earth’s heroes and villains against each other for little more than his own curiosity and pleasure. He’s all about having fun, and as one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe, the character would obviously be a formidable foe for the combined forces for every hero on both Earth and in outer space.
There are a lot of ways Marvel Studios can reinvent The Beyonder, and it's hard not to be excited about what that might entail (especially if the Russo Brothers are involved from a creative standpoint).
7. Galactus (And The Silver Surfer)
Now that Marvel Studios has regained the rights to the Fantastic Four franchise, it's inevitable that Galactus and the Silver Surfer will show up sooner rather than later. The former has the potential to be the next Thanos, while his herald can team up with pretty much any hero you can imagine.
The prospect of seeing these two in live-action is, quite frankly, mind-blowing. Sure, we've had a cloud version of Galactus and an admittedly faithful version of the Silver Surfer, but it really doesn't feel like we've seen the definitive take on either one of them. Marvel Studios can now change that.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 could very easily drop some hints about the existence of them both.
6. The Supreme Intelligence
The Supreme Intelligence is more than a million years old, and is made up of the greatest Kree minds which were removed upon the deaths of their hosts and assimilated by the computer, adding their knowledge and experience to its own. However, it would eventually develop its own mind and became the Ruler of the Kree Empire. And yes, we met this character in Captain Marvel.
However, we didn't get to see the Supreme Intelligence in its true form, despite the fact Marvel Studios actually shot that scene for the 2019 movie (why it ended up being cut is obviously a mystery).
With Captain Marvel 2 presumably focusing on the Skrulls and a "Secret Invasion," there's no reason for the Supreme Intelligence to appear there, but we could see in other cosmic tales.
5. Adam Warlock
Adam Warlock's creation was first hinted at in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but the rumours we've heard about the next instalment haven't really mentioned the villain turned hero.
It's possible that he's being saved for another cosmic adventure, and in the comics, after Earth and discovering his humanity, the hero spends most of his time in space facing off against Thanos. Obviously, it goes without saying that's no longer possible, while the absence of the Infinity Stones could change both the way he's portrayed and his mission statement in the MCU.
Either way, he has a tonne of potential and could help turn the tide against a villain like Thanos.
4. Hyperion
The last living Eternal from another Earth, Hyperion was freed by The Avengers after falling into the clutches of A.I.M., and ended up being a pivotal part of that superhero team as time passed.
Incredibly powerful, he's able to absorb cosmic energy which gives him a lot of different powers, while his strength is pretty much off the charts. In fact, he even managed to stop two different Earths from colliding during an Incursion event, and even carried the city of Atlantis out of the ocean on his back.
While his history isn't necessarily rooted in outer space, Hyperion is definitely one of those heroes - like Captain Marvel, in some respects - who is so powerful, he should take on cosmic threats.
3. Nova
In the comic books, Richard Rider was chosen at random by the alien Rhomann Dey (played by John C. Reilly in Guardians of the Galaxy) to inherit his power and succeed him in the rank of Nova Prime. Glenn Close actually played Nova Prime in that movie, but we've not seen the Nova Corps since and know that Thanos wiped them out before Avengers: Infinity War started.
A flashback could very easily reveal Nova's origin story, of course, and it now makes sense for him to carry the burden of being the final member of the Nova Corps after Thanos' heinous actions.
James Gunn has made it clear that he has little to no interest in putting Nova in one of his Guardians of the Galaxy movies, so chances are we won't see him until after Vol. 3. There were once plans for him to appear in the last two Avengers adventures, but he sadly failed to make the cut.
2. Gladiator
While Marvel Studios regaining the rights to the X-Men is undeniably exciting, it's important to remember that there are a lot of other characters from that world who come as part of the package.
Among them are the Shi'ar Empire, and one member of that alien race we're particularly excited to see is Gladiator. A member of the Imperial Guard, he's defeated threats like the Phoenix and Vulcan, and eventually managed to take charge of the entire Shi'ar Empire after the death of Lilandra.
Gladiator is an absolute powerhouse, and his strength alone makes him one of the Marvel Universe's most powerful heroes. As well as being practically invulnerable, he can travel at the speed of light!
1. Genis-Vell
Marvel Studios obviously made some key changes to Mar-Vell in Captain Marvel, but they have the opportunity to continue that character's legacy by introducing her son, Genis-Vell. The fact that, in the comic books, he's also the child of an Eternal could nicely tie into that upcoming movie as well.
Genis-Vell went by Captain Marvel for a time, and has both been driven insane and joined the Thunderbolts during his storied history. However, when his teammates realised that he was on the brink of a breakdown that could endanger the entire Earth, they were forced to put him down for good.
There's a lot of storytelling potential here, and with a long list of superpowers, he's someone who could make for an interesting ally - or enemy - to Carol Danvers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.