We have a pretty good feeling that the MCU will look drastically different following Avengers: Infinity War and the untitled Avengers 4. Once the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy team up to square off against the mad titan Thanos, team lineups will change for good and new heroes will make their big screen debuts. With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 marking the end of the iteration of the team we’ve come to know, there’s no telling who could sign up for membership. However, if the comics are a guide to future film developments, then Marvel may have just revealed the newest member of the MCU’s Guardians in last week’s All-New Guardians of the Galaxy #12.
In the comics, the Guardians are currently on a quest for the Infinity Stones, the same magical artifacts that have popped up a time or two in the MCU. Their search took them to Earth, where each member checked in with different heroes like Doctor Strange, Cable, Deadpool, and Man-Thing to see if they had any clues on the location of a stone. These four characters even appeared on the cover to All-New Guardians of the Galaxy #12 with the phrase, “Who Will Be the Next Member of the All-New Guardians of the Galaxy?” As it turned out, Ant-Man—who wasn’t even on the cover—ended up joining after stowing away inside Rocket’s fur.
Sure, Ant-Man becoming a Guardian of the Galaxy could be seen as not that big a deal when viewed through the lens of the comics, but when you consider the MCU implications, things become quite interesting.
One facet the cosmic side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has yet to exploit is the “fish out of water” element of taking an Earth-based superhero and placing them in outer space. Star-Lord may be the only human member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, but he’s spent the majority of his life growing up in space. By the time we met him in Vol. 1 he was a veteran at interacting with aliens. Place Ant-Man in Knowhere, the space hub located inside the head of a decapitated Celestial, and watch his Earthling eyes go crazy at the exotic scenery.
This very “fish out of water” concept seems doubly fitting when you consider how major an element comedy is to both the Guardians and to Ant-Man. The Guardians of the Galaxy films love to insert jokes at every turn, and Ant-Man contained some of the funniest moments of any MCU film set on Earth. So why not combine the two properties for one mega laugh track? Ant-Man, as played by comic dynamo Paul Rudd, could leave the audience in stitches while he bounces one-liners off of the likes of Rocket and Drax. The crowds would eat it up.
For a team that likes to steal and pull off heists, Ant-Man would be a great addition to the Guardians. You have to imagine his ability to shrink down to the size of an ant would come in handy when trying to steal something without being seen. This could lead to some incredible just-for-fun action sequences that other MCU films and characters would perhaps be to plot-focused to endeavor.
There’s bound to be a new roster of misfits whenever the fourth Guardians of the Galaxy film hits theaters in the future. Among the existing superheroes in the MCU not named Thor, Ant-Man makes the most sense to pack his bags and take his adventures to the cosmos.
What do you think about Ant-Man possibly joining the Guardians of the Galaxy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Let us know in the comments section below.
Images: Marvel Studios, Marvel Comics
Tim Adams is a freelance writer who loves comics and the TV and movies that feature them. Follow him on Twitter!
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