Since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hit theaters, writer/director James Gunn has been talking recently about the potential third chapter in his cosmic saga. Although he once said that Peter Quill would be the only Earth human to hold a position on the team, Gunn now seems to be softening that stance. We’ve learned (via Comic Book) that on a recent Facebook Q&A, one of his followers asked Gunn if Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 might break this no-other-humans rule, and he had this to say:

“Human characters are no longer out of consideration.”

Well, that quite possibly changes everything, doesn’t it? After all, there are several Earth-based Marvel Comics heroes that are just cosmic enough to qualify as potential future members of the Guardians. We’ve come up with a few heroes that could make the cut, (although, sadly, no characters who are too closely associated with the Fantastic Four or the X-Men, because of dumb contracts that don’t let us fans get everything we want). And starting off our list is a hero who actually started out as a member of the Guardians, way back when…

Justice

This one is tricky, because technically he’s a mutant, and almost all of the Marvel Mutants fall under the 20th Century Fox banner. However, there are loopholes for mutant characters who are not traditionally members of the X-Men, like Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, allowing them a better chance at finding a home in Marvel Studios movies. These rules may very well apply to Vance Astovik, who eventually becomes the superhero Justice.

He was originally introduced the telekinetic Marvel Boy before changing his name to Justice once he got older. Interestingly, as Justice, he has been a member of the New Warriors and the Avengers, and the future version of him joins the Guardians of the Galaxy. In the future, he simply goes by the name Vance Astro.

Quasar

Wendell Vaughn (yes, there is a superhero named Wendell) was the cosmically powered Quasar, and starred in his own monthly ongoing series that ran for sixty issues beginning in the early ’90s, and was also a member of the Avengers for a good while. A SHIELD Academy graduate, Vaughn comes across the cosmic weapons known as the Quantum Bands, which he uses to create solid light constructs.

He goes by the name Marvel Man for a bit, before ditching the name and becoming Quasar. He died in one of Marvel’s many crossovers, but has been brought back since. Since the Avengers movies are unlikely to use him at any point soon, why not have him join the Guardians out in space?

Nova

The Nova Corps proper, Marvel’s interstellar police force, was introduced in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. But the Nova I’m referring to here is Richard Rider, who inherited the title and cosmic powers from a dying member of the Corps. The character has had a comeback in the last few years, mostly due to Marvel Comics doubling down on their cosmic heroes with events like Annihilation. A new teenager named Sam Alexander recently took on the mantle of Nova, but either he or Richard Rider would make for ideal candidates for a third Guardians movie.

Moondragon

Heather Douglass is the complete package when it comes to superheroes. She’s a powerful telepath, a master martial artist, telekinetic, and a highly skilled geneticist to boot. When Heather was a child, her parents were killed after accidentally running afoul of Thanos one day when he was landing his ship in the desert. Surviving the attack, She was found by Thanos’ father, who took her to his home world, Titan, to be raised by the monks of Shao-Lom.

It was here that she developed her abilities, and later joined the Avengers, the Defenders, and eventually the Guardians. Her shaved head makes for a striking look, and her no-nonsense attitude would also make her an ideal character to give poor Rocket constant side-eye. She’s also an LGBT character, which would make her the first gay hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Wonder Man

As we recently found out, Nathan Fillion almost brought Wonder Man to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, in the form of a series of movie posters featuring the actor-turned-superhero. Sadly, all references to Wonder Man got cut in the final film. In the comics, Simon Williams was given “ionic” powers including strength, flight, and energy blasts, things which gave him a career not only as a superhero, but also a Hollywood movie star and stunt man.

His ionic powers allow him to function in space, making him perfect for the Guardians. It’s doubtful the Avengers will get to him anytime soon, so why not let him make the trek out into space and join the Guardians? And of course, Wonder Man should still be played by Nathan Fillion. This was a part Fillion was born to play.

Spectrum

Monica Rambeau was a prominent Marvel hero in the mid ’80s, before Marvel shoved her aside for a long time. She was originally a Captain in the New Orleans harbor patrol, until she was then exposed to extra-dimensional rays and, as a result, she was able to convert her own body to cosmic energy. She became a superhero, joined the Avengers, and even became team leader for a while under the name Captain Marvel. (This is right after the original Captain Mar-Vell died).

She lost her powers for a longtime, and when she got them back she kept changing her superhero name–first Photon, then Pulsar, and finally Spectrum. Considering her power is comic in nature, she is perfect recruitment material for the Guardians. It’s doubtful the Avengers movies have plans for her anytime soon, so I say to James Gunn: Go ahead and steal Spectrum from the Avengers and give a cool character her due.

Captain Universe

I’m cheating a bit on this one, as Captain Universe is actually a cosmic force and not a person. It’s actually an ancient energy called the Uni-Power, a manifestation of the Universe and a sentient energy field that seeks out people in great peril and bonds with them. However, this cosmic force has a tendency to bond with normal, average humans.

The first was a dude from Florida named Ray Coffin, and then bonded with many heroes over time, even Spider-Man for awhile. The most recent host was a young African American woman named Tamara Devoux, who eventually became an Avenger. And that’s the Captain Universe I’d go with in a future Guardians movie, because she’s the coolest by far.

Which Marvel hero would you like to see potentially join the Guardians of the Galaxy for chapter 3? Be sure to let us know down below in the comments.

Images: Marvel Comics

What’s in store for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?