As James Gunn prepares to say goodbye to the MCU with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, he makes sure to provide fans of the series with a few easter eggs for them to remain hopeful in an MCU after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, with some acting as obscure references, fun cameos, or heartfelt nods to past adventures and characters.
The latest Guardians of the Galaxy MCU film will have audiences more concerned for the safety of their favorite characters rather than the easter eggs, but considering those MCU easter eggs are in short supply for this film, it gives audiences plenty of space to just enjoy the movie. Luckily for the audience interested in Guardians of the Galaxy easter eggs, there are still a few to watch out for.
7 Phyla-Vell
One of the characters that are introduced late into Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a strange child, one that was rescued from the High Evolutionary’s experiments as a new species set to be another test for the perfect society. This character is known as Phyla-Vell, who will surely have a bright future ahead of her within the MCU, thanks to her comic book ties.
Phyla-Vell is noted for her white hair, and in the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 post-credits scene, she is seen sporting the official costume of the Guardians. In the comics, this character is the daughter of the original Captain Marvel, Mar-Vell. It’s uncertain what ties Phyla-Vell has to Captain Marvel or the powers that be, but there’s certainly more than meets the eye with this one.
6 Howard The Duck
An extraterrestrial and sentient duck who loves a cocktail is a rare find, which is exactly why it is always a treat to see Howard the Duck, whenever he chooses to appear. This character is famed in the Marvel comics and has appeared in a few quick surprises for the MCU. He returns once again for a card game on Knowhere in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Howard the Duck certainly gets up to whatever he well pleases, much like the flight path of Adam Warlock. That is, as long as he can enjoy a laugh and a drink. It’s rare to see the character without his signature suit, and it’s always a pleasure just to see the character. As long as it isn’t the George Lucas version.
5 Kevin Bacon Abducted By Aliens
As Peter Quill and his grandfather enjoy breakfast together in the post-credits scene for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the audience's eyes may be drawn away from what cereal Star-Lord is eating, and more concerned about the newspaper headline being read by Grandpa Quill.
The newspaper mentions Kevin Bacon, and how the famed actor was abducted by aliens. This is about the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which sees Drax and Mantis venture to Earth to kidnap Kevin Bacon and provide Peter Quill with a jolly Christmas.
4 Yondu’s Cameo
Ever since the death of Yondu, Kraglin has been struggling to follow in the footsteps of his great leader. Armed with Yondu’s fin and arrow, Kraglin continues to fail at mastering it as Yondu once did. However, when Kraglin needed his strength to protect the people of Knowhere, Yondu appeared in the distance.
Yondu’s appearance is brief but memorable. Yondu helps to give Kraglin the advice and courage he needs to master the arrow. It was great to see Michael Rooker reprise the role of Yondu, even if it was for only a few seconds. Nothing beats the smile of this Ravager.
3 The Broker
Everything comes full circle in one way or another. The Broker was a character that was last seen in Guardians of the Galaxy. This character had one goal in mind, to purchase the Orb from the Ravagers. Of course, this Orb was later discovered to be the powerful Infinity Stone, the Power Stone, providing its selling value as an untold amount.
It seems that the Broker has fallen on hard times since the destruction and battles on Xandar, as he now resides on Knowhere, enjoying a simple card game with other characters, even if he does have to listen to Cosmo worry about not being a good dog.
2 Stakar Ogord And The Ravagers
Stakar Ogord is regarded as one of the most legendary Ravagers in the galaxy. Not only is this character played by Sylvester Stallone, but he’s once again assisted by his crew that was last seen in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, including an alien sorcerer.
Ogord’s appearance in the film may be brief, but it’s good to see the captain of the Ravagers still doing what he does best, which is committing to heists and cons to get rich, whilst upholding the sacred Ravager code.
1 James Gunn’s Cameo
It’s not a surprise for directors to make cameos in their movies. However, James Gunn certainly made a bold choice when he decided to cement himself into Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as… Lambshank. This character is intentionally grotesque, making awful noises and screaming “Thank you!”
It’s one of the High Evolutionary’s creations that should have been incinerated. James Gunn is listed in the credits as the actor who played Lambshank, and it’s certainly a character that fans hope to never see again due to the horror of it.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is in theaters now.