Captain Marvel 2 Should Introduce the X-Men's Guardians of the Galaxy

Captain Marvel 2 should introduce the X-Men's Guardians of the Galaxy - the Starjammers - and use them to explain what Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) has been up to since she left Earth. At the end of Captain Marvel, the titular superhero left the planet to help Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) and the Skrulls find a new home.

Her seclusion ended in Avengers: Endgame, when she arrived on Earth to respond to a message sent by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) in an Avengers: Infinity War post-credits scene. Captain Marvel helped the Avengers deal with Thanos (Josh Brolin) at the beginning of the movie, and returned to participate in the final battle with the Mad Titan and his army. Carol even got in a few blows on Thanos himself. Her next appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe will happen on July 8, 2022 when Captain Marvel 2 hits theaters. A director for the film has yet to be found, and no story details have been announced.

There's a good chance that Captain Marvel 2 will incorporate a number of MCU characters, such as Nick Fury, Ms. Marvel (after she debuts in her own Disney+ series) and WandaVision's adult version of Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris). But what brand new characters will the highly anticipated sequel introduce to the MCU? One possibility is that Captain Marvel 2 will utilize the Starjammers, a team that exists primarily in X-Men comics. Here's why the Starjammers - who have an important connection to Carol Danvers in Marvel Comics - should make an appearance in Captain Marvel 2, and what they could mean for the MCU.

Corsair & The Starjammers In Marvel Comics Explained

Starjammers, who are in many ways the X-Men's very own Guardians of the Galaxy, are a group of space pirates who have shared numerous adventures with the X-Men (and other Marvel heroes) since the late 1970s. Introduced in the pages of Uncanny X-Men #104 in 1977, the Starjammers have battled threats from all over the galaxy. Several heroes (including Havok and Rachel Summers) have been members at one point or another, but the main group consists of Corsair, Raza Longknife, Hepzibah, and Ch'od. Their leader, Corsair, is Christopher Summers, the long-lost father of Cyclops. Decades ago, Corsair was abducted from Earth by an alien race called the Shi'ar and taken into space, where he was forced into slavery. After escaping from the Shi'ar and joining forces with feline alien Hepzibah, cyborg warrior Raza Longknife, and reptilian monster Ch'od, Corsair and his friends formed the Starjammers.

In the years that followed, Corsair reunited with Cyclops, and the Starjammers became recurring allies to the X-Men. They have also played roles in some of Marvel's cosmic events, like "Galactic Storm" and "War of Kings". Over the years, Corsair and his team have fought alongside the Silver Surfer, the Hulk, the Avengers, and even Carol Danvers.

After Carol became "Binary", she realized that her human life was in shambles. No longer interested in the relationships she had with the people of Earth, Carol decided to leave the planet and travel with Corsair's team on board their ship, the Starjammer. Carol stayed with them for quite a while in the 1980s, but since the Starjammers were mostly used as guest stars in the comics, Carol's appearances in Marvel Comics were limited around this time. With her Binary powers, she proved to be a more than capable member of the team. But after several years, Carol lost her Binary abilities. When this happened, Carol ended her association with the Starjammers, took the name "Warbird", and returned to Earth to become a full-time member of the Avengers.

How Captain Marvel 2 Can Introduce The Starjammers

Corsair leads the Starjammers and the X-Men in battle in Marvel Comics.

The Starjammers represent an important period in Carol's life in the comics. The same could end up being true for the MCU version of the hero, especially since the events of Captain Marvel put her on a course that's quite similar to what brought the comic book character to the Starjammers in the 1980s. Carol found solace traveling with Corsair, Raza, Ch'od, and Hepzibah when she had nothing left, and with the MCU's Carol not having a home of her own in the gap between Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame, it would make sense for her to look for a new team. After all, it's unlikely that she's been with the Skrulls this entire time. After helping them, she could have gone her own way, but may not have remained alone until Endgame. It's possible that sometime after the movie, she met up with Corsair and his band of alien space pirates. Corsair could have given a Carol a place on his ship.

If the Starjammers are a part of Carol's past, how would they be used in the movie? Captain Marvel 2 is confirmed to take place in the present day, but that doesn't mean the movie won't use flashbacks or find some other narrative way to fill in the gaps. In Captain Marvel 2, Carol could go to the Starjammers for help. Her scenes with them could reveal that she was on the team sometime before Endgame. Alternatively, she could still be with the group. She could have take a temporary leave to travel to Earth. It could be that the Starjammers' presence in the sequel will be similar to the role of Star Force in Captain Marvel, except Corsair and his people may remain on Carol's side as heroes.

What The Starjammers Could Mean For The MCU's Future

Since the origin of the Starjammers is intertwined with the Shi'ar Empire, the team's MCU debut could set up the introduction of one of the three most important alien races in Marvel Comics. The other two, the Skrulls and the Kree, already exist in the MCU. The Shi'ar Empire could lead the MCU into all sorts of different stories in Phase 5 and beyond. Furthermore, the Starjammers in Captain Marvel 2 could begin the process of bringing the X-Men into the MCU.

The X-Men, one of Marvel's biggest brands, have already starred in a number of recent FOX films, so there's no need for Marvel to rush into them. That's why it may be better for Marvel to work them into the MCU slowly by taking small steps. The first step could be the Starjammers - specifically, Cyclops' father, Corsair. A quick reference to his son, Scott (and perhaps Scott's brother, Alex) could be all the movie needs to do to drop a fun X-Men tease. Years later, after the X-Men get their own MCU movies, Marvel can revisit the Starjammers connection in a meaningful way by reuniting Corsair with his son.

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