Credit: Marvel StudiosGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) was certainly better for it!
For many Marvel Fans, the third and final installment in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise restored their hope in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It was dark, it was gritty, it was still funny, it was fun, but on top of all of that, the cast shone. It was a touching farewell, but for some actors, it was a return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, albeit in a different role.
Guardians Vol 3. was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. From the outset, Marvel fans knew that this would be different than the other Guardians they had seen to this point. Gone were the carefree days when Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) danced his way to classic hits on his way to get an Infinity Stone. Instead, fans witness the tragic backstory of Rocket (Bradley Cooper) as his friends struggle to save his life while fighting against the cruel and heartless High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji).
With such high stakes and the imminent departure of many of the original Guardians, it stands to reason that many smaller details in the film would have gone unnoticed, but thankfully, there are some sharp viewers that have been able to catch these easter eggs and other small details that make the rich tapestry of the film.
The Direct, for instance, reported on the seven different Marvel actors who stepped into different roles in this film. Each had been cast in previous Marvel projects but took up the call to play, in many cases, a wildly different role in this film. Not only does this show that director James Gunn has a great eye for talent, but it also shows that each of these actors has a wide range themselves, being able to play such different characters in the same franchise.
The list includes Judy Greer, who played both War Pig and Maggie Lang (Ant-Man franchise), Linda Cardellini as Lylla, and Laura Barton (Hawkeye), Tara Strong as Mainframe and Miss Minutes (Loki), Miriam Shor as Recorder Vim, and Alisa Jones (Jessica Jones), Nathan Fillion as Master Karja and an inmate (Guardians franchise), Stephen Blackehart as Steemie and a ravager (Guardians franchise), and Mikaela Hoover as Floor and a Nova Corps assistant (Guardians franchise).
It’s an impressive list, and, as stated above, even more impressive that these actors, many of which already had significant roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe were able to bring new life to these characters in such a way that many went unrecognized. It takes significant talent, and James Gunn chose right when he cast each of these characters to come back to Marvel for this last outing.
Related: Marvel’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Breaks Impressive New World Record
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is currently in theaters and stars Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Zoe Saldaña as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, Vin Diesel as Groot, Sean Gunn as Kraglin, Chukwudi Iwuji as the High Evolutionary, and Will Poulter as Adam Warlock. The last entry into the Guardians franchise finds the team rallying to protect Rocket (Cooper) on their most perilous mission yet.
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