10 Major Guardians Of The Galaxy Members Missing From The MCU

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There are some major heroes still missing from the MCU who could make their way onto the new Guardians of the Galaxy team. James Gunn brought the MCU's premiere cosmic team to the big screen in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, and since then, the line-up of the team has remained practically unchanged. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to change this, however, as the Phase 5 film will be Gunn's final project with Marvel Studios, so several characters are expected to retire or die during the upcoming space-faring adventure.But with the Guardians being Marvel's biggest superhero team, they have a good chance of remaining relevant to the MCU even as the current era comes to an end.
The MCU's Guardians of the Galaxy was based on the 2008 version of the team in Marvel Comics, instead of the original alternate universe 1969 line-up. Over the years, this particular incarnation of the group has seen many changes in membership, with many cosmic heroes joining the ranks, some of whom have yet to be introduced in live-action. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will debut Adam Warlock in the MCU, a founding member of Marvel Comics' 2008 team, so it's possible that more obscure characters can follow suit in the movies to come. There are ten major Guardians of the Galaxy heroes who have the potential to replace the team's existing members.
Phyla-Vell

Phyla-Vell debuted in Marvel Comics' 2004 run of Captain Marvel Vol. 5 #16 as the daughter of the original Captain Mar-Vell and a genetically engineered woman, Elysius. She originally operated as a version of Captain Marvel, though later assumed the monikers of Quasar and eventually Martyr. Phyla-Vell became one of the founding members of 2008's Guardians of the Galaxy team, brought together by Star-Lord in the wake of the Phalanx invasion of the Kree. Her superhuman abilities combined with the power to absorb cosmic energy would make her a formidable member of the MCU's post-Phase 5 Guardians of the Galaxy team.
Moondragon

Raised on Titan by Thanos' father, Mentor, Heather Douglas, a.k.a. Moondragon, learned her abilities through years of exhaustive training, acquiring telepathy, telekinesis, and a mastery of genetic engineering. Moondragon's father had his soul implanted into the body of Drax the Destroyer, so her debut in the MCU would not only be cathartic for Drax, but could also be the perfect way to continue his legacy. Moondragon was an unofficial member of the Guardians, as well as a romantic partner of the aforementioned Phyla-Vell. As a staunch adversary to Thanos, and with her connection to Drax, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 could a find a way to introduce Moondragon to the MCU.
Bug

Originally introduced in 1979, Bug debuted as a member of the Micronauts in Marvel Comics, a superhero team operating in the Microverse, adapted into the MCU's Quantum Realm. In his later appearances, however, Bug found himself a captive of the Kree, which brought him into contact with Star-Lord and the Guardians of the Galaxy, eventually being recruited by Rocket after the original team disbanded. Bug's connection to the Microverse, a version of which has been featured in Marvel Studios' Ant-Man franchise, makes him a great fit for the MCU, and his obscurity mirrors the weirdness of the MCU's original Guardians of the Galaxy perfectly. Due to rights issues with Hasbro (the creators of the Micronauts), Gunn was unable to use Bug in his own Guardians of the Galaxy movies, but there's a chance these issues could be worked out after Phase 5.
Jack Flag

First appearing in 1994's Captain America #434, Jack was originally a street-level superhero and a recurring character in Steve Rogers' stories. Years later, Jack was reinvented as a cosmic hero. Sometime after being paralyzed by Bullseye, the Guardians of the Galaxy's medical staff restored his health, leading Jack to pursue a stint with the team in space, rather than resume his superhero activities on Earth. Jack's connection to Captain America creates the possibility of him showing up in Captain America: New World Order, and potentially becoming the first fully-human Guardian of the Galaxy at some point down the road.
Beta Ray Bill

Originally depicted as an adversary for Thor and a character worthy of lifting Mjolnir, Beta Ray Bill would eventually become a popular Thor character, complete with his enchanted Mjolnir-like weapon, Stormbreaker. Though Beta Ray Bill debuted Marvel Comics in 1983, he didn't become a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy until 2019. Even so, his introduction into the MCU has been heavily rumored since a statue of his head was seen in Thor: Ragnarok, and with Thor possibly leaving the MCU after the Multiverse Saga, it could be that an MCU version of Beta Ray Bill would make for the perfect replacement for Chris Hemsworth's God of Thunder.
Cosmic Ghost Rider

Cosmic Ghost Rider is one of Marvel Comics' weirdest new additions, debuting in 2018's Thanos #13 as a variant of the 616-universe's Frank Castle, a.k.a. the Punisher. An amalgam of the Punisher, Ghost Rider, and the Silver Surfer, Cosmic Ghost Rider became a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy following his journey to the 616-universe, and would later help form the Dark Guardians to track down Gamora. With Jon Bernthal being confirmed to return as the Punisher in Daredevil: Born Again, it's possible that his MCU future could lie as the Cosmic Ghost Rider, and potentially even as a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, though this would admittedly be a significant departure from the traditional Punisher formula.
Nova

Despite being a very well-established superhero in his own right, operating as protector of the Nova Corps, Richard Rider, a.k.a. Nova, wouldn't become a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy until Marvel Comics' 2020 reboot of the series. Chosen to become Nova after the fall of the Nova Corps, Rider was gifted a suit and the powers of a Nova Centurion. It's been reported that Marvel Studios is developing a Disney+ series that will explore Nova's backstory in the MCU, though it's unclear when this will release. As for how he could appear, it's possible that with the Guardians wearing Nova Corps uniforms in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, his introduction will either happen in the movie as a secret cameo or will be directly set up by the story.
Quasar

Initially a SHIELD agent on Earth, Wendell Vaughn suited up as the first Quasar after acquiring the Quantum Bands, which allow him to manipulate energy and teleport at will. Over his long Marvel Comics career, Quasar fought alongside Earth's Mightiest Heroes as an Avenger, took part in multiple cosmic crossovers, and eventually joined up with the Guardians of the Galaxy, making him one of the most prominent cosmic superheroes in the franchise. Similar to the situation with Nova, a live-action interpretation of Wendell Vaughn has what it takes to be a leading figure in the cosmic stories planned for the MCU's future.
Hulkling

Although his name may be misleading, Hulkling is actually the son of the Skrull Emperor's daughter and the Kree Captain Mar-Vell, raised in secret on Earth but eventually discovered and used to unite the two warring races. Before his journey into space, though, the unassuming "Teddy" fights with Captain America against the Superhuman Registration Act, becomes a Young Avenger, and a member of the New Avengers. He and his partner, Billy Kaplan, a.k.a. Wiccan, would eventually operate as Guardians of the Galaxy, and with all the setup Marvel is doing with the Young Avengers in the MCU, it's not impossible that Hulking is a part of whatever plans it may have for the team.
Agent Venom

After graduating from college, Flash Thompson - Spider-Man's high school bully - joined the army, and eventually found himself bonded to the Venom symbiote, becoming a military version of Venom called Agent Venom. He became an Avenger, though his identity was kept secret, and was placed in the Guardians of the Galaxy to keep communications open between the two superhero teams. Since Flash already exists in the MCU, Marvel could theoretically send him on a cosmic adventure somehow, though obviously much would have to happen for his character to resemble his comic counterpart. But with a piece of the symbiote loose in the MCU after Spider-Man: No Way Home, Flash becoming Agent Venom isn't an implausible scenario.
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