Skip to main content
Games Radar Newsarama Total Film Edge Retro Gamer
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The smarter take on movies
UK EditionUK US EditionUS CA EditionCanada AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
Subscribe now
Don't miss these
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies
  3. Action Movies

20 Guardians of the Galaxy characters we want to see on the big screen

Features
By Paul Bradshaw published 1 September 2013

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Bug

Bug

Why We Want Him: Bug wont be happy that he wasnt included in the first big screen Guardians line up. A green locust with superhuman strength, a rocket lance and a pretty good sense of humour, Bug spent most of his time in the comics moaning that Starlord didnt recruit him earlier.

Who Should Play Him: Steve Buscemi

Page 1 of 20
Page 1 of 20
Jack Flag

Jack Flag

Why We Want Him: Stabbed in the spine by Bullseye, the superhuman super-patriot spends most of his time in a wheelchair. Variously patched up and back on his feet in the comics, theres plenty of room for the MCUs first disabled hero (if you dont count Professor X) in Starlords team. Also, he once killed someone with a boom box.

Who Should Play Him: Armie Hammer

Page 2 of 20
Page 2 of 20
Major Victory

Major Victory

Why We Want Him: A blue, bald, time-travelling astronaut who carries Caps shield and wears an anti-aging Adamantium space suit, Vance Astro is the founding member of The Guardians which pretty much guarantees him screen time if the franchise continues. Another displaced human might make a nice foil for Quill too.

Who Should Play Him: Jason Statham

Page 3 of 20
Page 3 of 20
Mantis

Mantis

Why We Want Her: Just because she was ranked #99 in Comics Buyers Guides 100 Sexiest Women in Comics, it doesnt mean Mantis doesnt deserve a shot at the big screen. Half-Vietnamese, half-German (but quite often drawn bright green), she was abandoned in an alien temple as a baby and raised as a hooker before starting her super-career in The Avengers. Telepathic, self-healing and a master martial artist she can even knock out Thor by squeezing his pressure points.

Who Should Play Her: Maggie Q

Page 4 of 20
Page 4 of 20
Moondragon

Moondragon

Why We Want Her: In case you dont know, Drax the Destroyer is actually the reanimated corpse of a Las Vegas jazz musician. Moondragon (real name Heather Douglas) is his daughter, escaping Thanos as a little girl and growing up on Titan where she shaved her head, developed psionic powers and learnt to turn into a massive dragon. Daddy issues abound when she joins Drax in space giving her a character a moral murkiness thats ripe for the screen.

Who Should Play Her: Noomi Rapace

Page 5 of 20
Page 5 of 20
Agent Venom

Agent Venom

Why We Want Him: Why? Because hes a better, cooler Spider Man. Going from Peter Parkers school bully, to a legless Iraq war vet, to a symbiotically bonded web-slinger--Flash Thompson has all of Spideys powers with none of his gawkiness (and twice the moral murkiness). Awkwardly flirting with most Marvel supergroups, he could just as easily show up in a future Avengers movie (or else help bridge the gap between the two franchises?).

Who Should Play Him: Damien Lewis

Page 6 of 20
Page 6 of 20
Angela

Angela

Why We Want Her: Spawned from Spawn, Angela is another obvious link between Ultron and the Guardians. An angel and a bounty hunter who looks like an adult Brave, wears a gold metal bikini and wields a broadsword--Angela also has deeper roots in the Marvelverse (one thread paints her backstory as Thor and Lokis long lost sister).

Who Should Play Her: Bryce Dallas Howard

Page 7 of 20
Page 7 of 20
Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel

Why We Want Her: The bigger question is why hasnt there already been a Captain Marvel movie? Part of the problem seems to be that the MCU has to pick one of (at least) seven different iterations of the character--from Stan Lees original alien jarhead to the current Carol Ms Marvel Danvers. They should probably just get to it before DC get there first

Who Should Play Her: Charlize Theron

Page 8 of 20
Page 8 of 20
Starhawk

Starhawk

Why We Want Him: A walking Groundhog Day, Starhawk is fated to re-inhabit his own body and live his life over and over again. An all-knowing wise-ass, hes the guy who dips into various different super teams, helps them defeat a bad guy and then says he knew theyd win anyway. Annoying? Slightly. Cool? Definitely.

Who Should Play Him: Bill Murray

Page 9 of 20
Page 9 of 20
Nova (Richard Rider)

Nova (Richard Rider)

Why We Want Him: A dying alien has to pass his on his powers (strength, speed, flight, invulnerability, blaster hands) to someone, so he randomly picks a teenager in New York--turning Richard Rider into an interstellar cop and beginning a fan-favourite super arc thats ripe for the MCU picking. Being a regular kid from Earth, hes also pretty quip heavy--making him another perfect fit for Peter Quills team. Nova's police force have already been introduced in Guardians Of The Galaxy, so there's every chance he could show up in a sequel.

Who Should Play Him: Scott Porter (only because hes been pestering James Gunn about it on Twitter)

Page 10 of 20
Page 10 of 20
Adam Warlock

Adam Warlock

Why We Want Him: Because hes a MAN GOD! The Frankenstein story of the Marvelverse, Warlock was the result of scientists trying to build the perfect human being. Getting instantly bored on Earth, he shoots off to outer space to join the Guardians and carry a tiny universe around in his pocket--playing a big part in thwarting Thanos search for the Infinity Gems.

Who Should Play Him: Charlie Hunnam

Page 11 of 20
Page 11 of 20
Magus

Magus

Why We Want Him: Because hes a MAN DEVIL! At one stage in Adam Warlocks back-story, he gets kidnapped by Lord Chaos and lectured to--eventually deciding that bad guys have more fun, time-travelling back to before he was born and starting a whole new space-time-continuum-shattering alter-ego.

Who Should Play Him: Charlie Hunnam

Page 12 of 20
Page 12 of 20
Cammi

Cammi

Why We Want Her: Okay, no one wants to see the MCU ruined by a rubbish child actor, but bringing 10-year-old Cammi to the screen is worth the risk. Shes human, she doesnt have any powers, shes rubbish at fighting and her only training for space combat is playing video games--all of which is kinda cool, and even more relatable than Peter Quills journey.

Who Should Play Her: Quevanzhan Wallis

Page 13 of 20
Page 13 of 20
Starjammers

Starjammers

Why We Want Them: Space pirates. Do we really need to say any more? Sometimes helping, sometimes hindering the supers--but mostly just plundering, drinking rum and swashbuckling--Chod, Corsair, Korvus et al make the Guardians look un-cool by comparison.

Who Should Play Them: Nathan Fillion (as Corsair)

Page 14 of 20
Page 14 of 20
The Universal Church Of Truth

The Universal Church Of Truth

Why We Want Them: Less a character than an institution, a narrative bent that wed love to see opening up more intergalactic doors in the MCU. Essentially a cult, the Universal Church Of Truth has been behind some of the biggest Big Bads in the comics (not least Thanos) and plays a large part in the Adam Warlock strand. Previously led by Cardinal Arokine and Magus, a shadowy Matriarch now leads the UCT--a character whose true identity still hasnt been revealed

Who Should Play Them: Angelica Huston (as Matriarch)

Page 15 of 20
Page 15 of 20
Badoon

Badoon

Why We Want Them: So much more than just space orks (and so much more interesting than Marvels other CG fodder like Kree and Skrulls), the Badoon would make for a better class of alien horde. Notably, the male and female Badoon hate each other (except during mating season)--living on separate planets and fighting an ongoing gender war whenever theyre not getting mown down by super-teams.

Who Should Play Them: WETA

Page 16 of 20
Page 16 of 20
Emperor Vulcan

Emperor Vulcan

Why We Want Him: Marvels supervillain roster might be crowded enough, but theres something very important that Vulcan could bring to the table: The X-Men. Real name Gabriel Summers, Vulcan is the younger brother of Cyclops and Havok--the product of a different upbringing and a serious revenge complex--and could be the key to bringing Marvels wayward (read sold) supers back to the MCU.

Who Should Play Him: Theo James

Page 17 of 20
Page 17 of 20
Death

Death

Why We Want Her: Okay, things are about to get esoteric. Death (the concept) exists in all the Marvel universes (except The Cancerverse, but dont even get us started on that), but Death (the entity) is a character that, despite not having any real physical form, plays a very big part in the Guardians story. Often depicted as a sexy skeleton in a black robe (that somehow still has boobs), Death is the whole reason that Thanos is after the infinity stones--falling madly in love and wanting to give her something better than flowers and chocolates

Who Should Play Her: William Sadler

Page 18 of 20
Page 18 of 20
Hollywood (Simon Williams)

Hollywood (Simon Williams)

Why We Want Him: Wonder Man is a bit boring on his own, but his future (Earth-691) version is much cooler. Yes, he has a few super powers (strength, stamina, thick skin), but hes essentially just a fat old man. Theres an interesting hook for the MCU, though, with Simon Hollywood Williams also famous for being an ex movie-star--giving the Guardians a neat meta twist.

Who Should Play Him: Nick Nolte

Page 19 of 20
Page 19 of 20
Cosmo

Cosmo

Why We Want Him: Because hes a dog. A former test animal for the Soviet Space Program, Cosmo drifted off course during the Cold War and mutated into a telepathic super mutt. Landing on the Knowhere space station (and finding employment as its security chief), Cosmo actually plays a critical part in the Guardians eventual story. He looks cute too.

Who Should Play Him: Uggie

Page 20 of 20
Page 20 of 20
TOPICS
Movies & TV
Paul Bradshaw
Share by:
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Whatsapp
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Latest in Action Movies
David Corenswet as Superman
James Gunn says Superman was the "hardest" movie he's ever made
 
 
Supergirl poster
James Gunn promises that Supergirl won’t be by the book
 
 
James Gunn
James Gunn says he "originally said no" to being DC Studios CEO because he "didn't want to do what Kevin Feige does"
 
 
Cyclops firing his optic blasts into the air and screaming, painted by Mark Sasso
The Avengers: Doomsday X-Men teaser is now in theaters and it finally gives fans exactly what we've been begging for
 
 
Chris Hemsworth as Thor in the Avengers: Doomsday trailer
Chris Hemsworth's Thor has an old look and a new motivation as his Avengers: Doomsday trailer hits the internet
 
 
Chris Evans as Steve Rogers in Avengers: Doomsday, holding a baby
The first Avengers: Doomsday trailer is now officially online, as the Russo Brothers explain why they brought Cap back
 
 
Latest in Features
A character from Code Vein 2 with an eyepatch framed with GamesRadar+ Big in 2026 decorations
Code Vein 2 is Dark Souls through an anime lens, and one surprisingly emotional dungeon proves Bandai Namco has raised the stakes
 
 
Amanda Seyfried as Ann Lee in The Testament of Ann Lee
2026 may be the year of Marvel blockbusters, but I can't wait for these 6 movies that might not be on your watchlist yet
 
 
Winona Ryder as Joyce and Noah Schnapp as Will in Stranger Things season 5
Stranger Things season 5 finale explained: who dies, does it set up a spin-off and what happens to Eleven?
 
 
Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven, David Harbour as Hopper and Linnea Berthelsen as Kali in Stranger Things season 5 volume 2
Stranger Things season 5 part 2 ending explained: who dies, what is the Upside Down, and how does it set up the finale
 
 
The Split Fiction key art featuring the duo of heroes on fantasy and sci-fi backgrounds with the GR+ Quiz logo in the top right corner
Can you guess the game review from the review quote?
 
 
Diego Luna as Cassian Andor in Andor season 2, after fighting Syril during the massacre of Ghorman
From Andor's shocking massacre to Pluribus's strange invasion, these are the best TV episodes of 2025
 
 
  1. Scythe box on a wooden surface, slightly off to one side
    1
    This alt-history board game is still a gold standard for modern strategy
  2. 2
    Skate Story review: "A beautiful and unique skateboarding game with great, stylized visuals set in a grungy underworld"
  3. 3
    Octopath Traveler 0 review: "The strongest entry in this retro-styled JRPG series yet, I love the greater focus on tactical battles"
  4. 4
    Sleep Awake review: "An all-timer horror premise is let down by tired stealth that I feel like I'm sleepwalking through"
  5. 5
    Metroid Prime 4: Beyond review: "The series' atmosphere has never been better, while being dragged down by a boring overworld and clunky psychic powers"
  1. Oona Chaplin as Varang in Avatar: Fire and Ash
    1
    Avatar: Fire and Ash review: "Still a technical marvel, with some of the year's best action filmmaking"
  2. 2
    Five Nights at Freddy's 2 review: "We have waited two years for a Five Nights at Freddy's 1.5"
  3. 3
    Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery review: "Brings Knives Out back to its roots for a sequel that's almost on a par with the original"
  4. 4
    Wicked: For Good review: "Builds to an incredibly cathartic conclusion, but isn't quite as captivating as Part 1"
  5. 5
    The Running Man review: "Some fun action and Glen Powell's star power aren't enough to energize this disappointing Stephen King adaptation"
  1. Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven in Stranger Things season 5 volume 2
    1
    Stranger Things season 5 finale review: “Shows off both the best and the worst of Hawkins”
  2. 2
    Stranger Things season 5, Volume 2 review: “All set up for a finale that has so much to deliver”
  3. 3
    Fallout season 2 review: "A hell of a lot of fun despite being overcrowded and convoluted"
  4. 4
    Stranger Things season 5 volume 1 review: “Can the Duffer brothers stick the landing? It’s sure looking like they will”
  5. 5
    Pluribus season 1 review: "Easily one of the year's best dramas"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...