The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s biggest box office bomb might have killed sequel chances for a major hero, but she could find new life in the Guardians of the Galaxy after a recent update. With James Gunn now at DC, where he will be overseeing the new DC Universe for at least 10 years, the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise is paused.

Gunn’s last MCU movie, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, ended the journey of the original iteration of the team beautifully. Most of the characters went their separate ways, with Marvel teasing that Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord would return elsewhere. However, the MCU set up a new Guardians of the Galaxy team, led by Rocket Raccoon and including Groot among its members.

So far, none of the MCU’s announced movies star or feature the cosmic team. The same goes for the main hero of the MCU’s biggest box office bomb. After a recent update, I wonder if the perfect future for both could be together, with the Guardians of the Galaxy getting a major new MCU addition in the coming years.

The Marvels’ Bombing Makes Captain Marvel 3 Unlikely To Happen

Carol Danvers’ MCU Future Makes Sense Elsewhere

The MCU’s 2025 movies have not done so well at the box office so far. According to Box Office Mojo, Captain America: Brave New World, which was affected by the choice to replace Chris Evans, grossed $415.1 million, while Thunderbolts* ended its box office run even lower, at just $382.1 million despite overwhelmingly positive reviews from fans and critics alike.

While both films rank near the bottom of the MCU, box office-wise, a 2023 film is responsible for the last spot on the list. Shockingly, after Captain Marvel broke the $1 billion mark, its sequel, The Marvels, ended its worldwide run with a weak $206.1 million. The film added Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau and Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel as co-stars.

Based on The Marvels‘ negative box office, I don’t see why Marvel would risk it by developing a third film for Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel, as there is no certainty that it would get back to the success of the franchise’s first entry. With the MCU now focusing on fewer projects and proven characters, Captain Marvel 3 happening is unlikely.

Captain Marvel’s MCU Future Could Be With The Guardians Of The Galaxy After A Major Comics Reveal

Marvel Comics Is Making Big Changes To Its Cosmic Side

Despite The Marvels‘ poor box office performance, I was still surprised by the fact that Captain Marvel was not part of the announced Avengers: Doomsday cast. While I still believe she could be secretly in the movie, that got me thinking of what other characters were absent from the film. Then, a major Marvel Comics reveal connected the dots for me.

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Imperial War: Imperial Guardians #1 is part of a new cosmic initiative from Marvel Comics, with the one-sH๏τ set to explore the debut of a new iteration of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Front and center will be Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel. She will be joined by other exciting characters, such as Gamora, Darkhawk, Cosmic Ghost Rider, and more.

Both in Marvel Comics and the MCU, Captain Marvel has shown time and again her leadership skills. While the MCU’s Guardians of the Galaxy have a solid leader in the form of Bradley Cooper’s Rocket Raccoon, an experienced and powerful hero like Captain Marvel would always be welcome. Carol also has team-up experience from her The Marvels appearance.

Why Captain Marvel Perfectly Fits The MCU’s New Guardians Of The Galaxy

Carol Danvers Is The Perfect Replacement For A Key MCU Hero

Beyond the way Marvel Comics and the MCU have had synergy moments in the past, leading to characters and teams being used shortly after/before by one medium after appearing in the other, I feel like Captain Marvel is perfect for the MCU’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Carol Danvers is uniquely equipped for a key role in the team.

Currently, the MCU’s new Guardians of the Galaxy include Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Kraglin, Cosmo, Adam Warlock, and Phyla. While Kraglin mostly looks like a human, he is not one. The cosmic team started with Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord fulfilling that role. Now, Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel could be Star-Lord’s replacement as the human member of the MCU’s Guardians of the Galaxy.

I also believe that Captain Marvel could be the perfect role model for Adam Warlock. The hero certainly has a lot of power, but not enough experience of how to use it. With help from a veteran hero like Captain Marvel, one of the MCU’s most powerful characters, who nearly took Thanos down alone, Adam could live up to his potential.

Marvel Studios Recently Paused The Development Of The Hero That Could Take Captain Marvel’s Team Spot

A Guardians Of The Galaxy Comic Book Member Almost Joined The MCU

Another factor that makes me more hopeful about Captain Marvel’s chances of joining the Guardians of the Galaxy is how the MCU paused development on another great possible Star-Lord replacement. In Marvel Comics, Nova has been part of the Guardians of the Galaxy. James Gunn has revealed that he did not use Nova to keep the team to one human.

In recent years, it was revealed that a Nova project was in development. The state of the project shifted for some time before Marvel settled on a Nova series on Disney+. However, as part of the MCU’s creative overhaul after many divisive releases in the Multiverse Saga, the development of Marvel’s Nova series was put on hold.

With Nova’s MCU future uncertain, Captain Marvel’s path to the Guardians of the Galaxy is free. There is a chance that she could work with the new cosmic team in one of the MCU’s upcoming Avengers movies. If that were to happen, my hopes of her joining the Guardians of the Galaxy could finally come true.