Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is a surprise hit. It was announced earlier in 2021 and launched more or less without a hitch just a few months later. For what started out as a b-tier, or even lower, Marvel property, Guardians of the Galaxy is quickly rising to the top. Now fans have something to champion alongside the MCU's Guardians of the Galaxy films.
The Square Enix game borrows a lot of elements from the movies. However, there are also a lot of new plot points and characters that could make for killer movie ideas. It’ll be interesting if the following elements from Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy make it into Guardian’s of the Galaxy 3.
There will be spoilers for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy so finish up this lengthy RPG and read up.
6 Nikki And Ko-Rel
The addition of a Nikki in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy story was shocking. The idea of Peter having a daughter as well as wrestling with the idea of being a father was an interesting twist for the character. It was also nice to see the game shy away from the MCU a bit by allowing Peter to have feelings for another female lead, Ko-Rel, instead of Gamora.
Gamora is definitely still the love interest going forward for Peter in the MCU even though she is technically now a different character. That doesn’t mean Peter can’t have a tangled past. The films have already set up that Peter has had ties with the Nova Corps before. It wouldn’t be that much of a stretch to add in Ko-Rel or Nikki at some point.
5 Lady Death, Pip, And Eros
One of the big reasons why Thanos wanted to get the Infinity Stones and kill off the galaxy in the comics was to impress the literal incarnation of death aka Lady Death. The MCU steering away from this was perhaps a good idea since it showed Thanos actually trying to do a good thing in his own twisted way. However, there is still a way to add Lady Death to the films.
Lady Death does not appear in Square Enix's Guardians of the Galaxy but she is mentioned. The same is true for Thanos’ brother, Eros. However, in the ice caverns with Mantis, observant players can see Pip running around in the background. Is Pip spying on the crew for Eros? It was just established in the MCU that both Pip and Eros will be a thing in the MCU thanks to the Eternals. If that’s the case then now would also be a good time to add in Lady Death.
4 Adam Warlock, Raker, And The Universal Church Of Truth
Marvel fans have been wanting to see Adam Warlock appear somewhere in the MCU for quite some time. Adam is very important in most Infinity Stone sagas as he often possesses the Mind Stone. That’s the case for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.
Adam was teased at the very end of Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and he has been cast in the third film already. If Adam is going to make it in then a good story to tell in the third movie would revolve around the Universal Church of Truth and its warped leader, Raker. It was a strong story in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and could be even better in the film version. Hopefully, the MCU can put a different twist on this arc though.
3 Richard Rider (Aka Nova)
One of the MCU's strangest exclusions has been Nova. Nova is a member of the Nova Corps except that he has powers way beyond the other elites. One of the most popular iterations of the character is Richard Rider, an Earthling.
It might be nice to allow Peter to bond with another person from Earth for a whole solo movie. Richard doesn’t appear in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy either. He is teased when the gang hacks into the Nova Corps computer though. His status is MIA which is probably a teaser for the sequel if it ever gets made.
2 It’s Time For Mantis To Do Something
Mantis was introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and was a fun character. However, she didn’t do much other than act as a glorified sleeping pill for Ego. She was timider than some of her comic iterations. That was one of the things Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy got right over the films.
Mantis has a lot more urgency in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy’s story while still being cryptically funny. It might be too late to change her character in the films now, but it’s worth a shot. Another character the game did a better job of portraying was Cosmo. Maybe it’s time for him to become a real character in the MCU too rather than act as a trophy for The Collector.
1 Lady Hellbender
Lady Hellbender is one of the most fun new characters introduced in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. She’s a woman with power, knows what she wants, and her thirst level is off the charts. It’s great to see a character like that appear in a Marvel game. Whether it’s Drax or Adam Warlock, Lady Hellbender is looking for a good time.
There are myriad ways she could be incorporated into the MCU. The third or fourth film could see the gang attempt some deal with her that is similar to the one in the game. Perhaps some of the crew could be taken away to battle in an arena while the rest have to break them out. The arena and jailbreak ideas have been done before in the MCU though. Something more original with Lady Hellbender would perhaps be better.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy was released on October 26, 2021 and is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.