Daniela Melchior is appearing in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and there are plenty of Marvel characters she could play. The Phase 4 Marvel Cinematic Universe is planned to be the final installment of James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, and he's assembled a massive cast to bring the story of the original iteration of the team - Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot - to a close. After working together on The Suicide Squad, Daniela Melchior is Guardians of the Galaxy 3's latest cast member. However, Gunn is keeping details about who she is playing under wraps.
The only detail about Daniela Melchior's MCU character in Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is that it is only a small role. This could be read in a few different ways, as it might mean she has a small one-off cameo similar to Matis actress Pom Klementieff appearing in The Suicide Squad. There is also the possibility that Daniela Melchior will play a Marvel character who isn't integral to the movie but will return in future projects. Then again, she might also have a small role that is somewhat larger than a cameo but also isn't reliant on committing to appear in multiple MCU movies or shows after Guardians of the Galaxy 3's story.
In any case, Daniela Melchior's casting gives way to a new avenue of speculation about who she is playing in Guardians of the Galaxy 3. The movie's confirmed characters include Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), Groot (Vin Diesel), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Kraglin (Sean Gunn), Stakar (Sylvester Stallone), Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki), and Adam Warlock (Will Poulter). Chukwudi Iwuji is also part of the cast and rumored to be Guardians of the Galaxy 3's villain High Evolutionary. All of them provide Gunn with opportunities to introduce Daniela Melchior's Guardians of the Galaxy character, and that allows for some exciting possibilities.
Is Daniela Melchior Drax's Daughter Moondragon?
The biggest character, arguably, Daniela Melchior could play in Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is Moondragon. In the comics, she is Drax's human daughter who develops psychic powers through training by Thanos' father. Moondragon is an incredibly powerful cosmic hero and member of the Guardians of the Galaxy. The MCU already changed Drax's origin from the comics which resulted in Moondragon being his daughter becoming more unlikely should she debut. Daniela Melchior's talent would make her an excellent choice to be Moondragon, but James Gunn has seemingly already debunked this. Rumors previously spread online that Melchior was playing Drax's daughter Moondragon, which he emphatically denied. While an argument could be made that Daniela Melchior is Moondragon or Drax's daughter (but not both), that would be an incredibly tricky maneuver from Gunn, who is typically straightforward with his fans online. That said, even Gunn has acknowledged Melchior would make a great Moondragon - and looks good in a bald cap.
Future Guardians Member Phyla-Vell
If Moondragon is off the table, Guardians of the Galaxy 3 could make Daniela Melchior's character be Phyla-Vell. She's gone by many names in the comics - including Captain Marvel, Quasar, and Martyr - and is essentially a Kree super-soldier even before she got powers. Phyla-Vell eventually gained control of Mar-Vell's Quantum Bands to become Quasar during the Annihilation comic event. Her powers eventually grew to include cosmic awareness and energy manipulation. She also frequently utilizes the Oblivion Sword/Quantum Sword. Daniela Melchior playing Phyla-Vell in Guardians of the Galaxy 3 would give her a role that could easily turn into a leading one going forward, especially if the speculation about the MCU adapting Annihilation proves to be true. Her role in the threequel could be limited to an end appearance that introduces the next Guardians of the Galaxy team or she could help the team out in some way.
Quasar (Avril Kincaid)
Guardians of the Galaxy 3 could also have Daniela Melchior play Quasar, but the Avril Kincaid version of the character instead. James Gunn teases many years ago that a version of Quasar could appear in the movie. While the original Quasar Wendall Vaughn and Phyla-Vell are more recognizable with the mantle, Avril Kincaid took control more recently in the comics. She was a SHIELD agent looking for the Quantum Bands when an encounter with Wendall led him to train her to be the next Quasar. Using Avril Kincaid in Guardians of the Galaxy 3 as the MCU's Quasar would be a bit of a surprise, but since part of the story and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special take place on Earth, there is an avenue to using her and other Earth-based heroes.
Rocket's Love Interest Lylla the Otter
Daniela Melchior's Guardians of the Galaxy 3 character could also be small in stature in addition to the size of her role, as Lylla the Otter is another possibility. There have long been theories that Rocket Raccoon's love interest in the comics will make an appearance in the third film, especially as a means to build up Rocket before his potential death. There is no better place for Lylla to appear than in Guardians of the Galaxy 3 with Rocket's origin expected to be explored and the possibilities that come if High Evolutionary is involved. This role would likely only require Melchior to provide the voice, but it'd be a fun way of her and Gunn keeping their collaborations related to furry animals after she played Ratcatcher 2 in The Suicide Squad.
Guardians 3's Rumored Villain's Daughter Luminous
Guardians of the Galaxy 3 could connect Daniela Melchior's character to the movie's villain too. With rumors swirling that High Evolutionary is set to challenge the Guardians during the third movie, the exploration of his story could include the introduction of his daughter. In the comics, High Evolutionary created a "daughter" named Luminous using the genetic templates of Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. She received Wanda's magical powers and Pietro's super-speed as a result and works with High Evolutionary, who also installed a kill switch on her so she can't turn against him. It stands to reason that Guardians of the Galaxy 3's villain High Evolutionary will have some additional allies in the movie, so Daniela Melchior playing his daughter Luminous could be one way to make that happen.
Black Swan, Another Child of Thanos
James Gunn could also deliver a surprise with Daniela Melchior's Guardians of the Galaxy 3 Marvel character by connecting her to Thanos. The movie already has two of Thanos' adopted daughters in it thanks to Nebula and Gamora, and there are theories that the time-displaced Gamora from 2014 will seek out Thanos' other children in this new timeline. This could include making Black Swan another one of Thanos' daughters in the MCU. She isn't his daughter in the comics, as she was born into a royal family, but did join a version of his Black Order. Since Nebula and Gamora have already set their animosity behind them to become like real sisters, Black Swan could be another chance for Thanos' children to reunite. Daniela Melchior's Black Swan could play an important role in Gamora and Nebula's Guardians of the Galaxy 3 stories, while also leaving the door open to her appearing in future projects as a hero or villain.
Hepzibah, A Member of the Starjammers
Instead of working against the Guardians of the Galaxy or even being a future team member, Daniela Melchior could play a member of the Starjammers in Guardians of the Galaxy 3. This includes one of the team's most prominent members Hepzibah, who became a founding member of the team when she and Corsair a.k.a. Christopher Summer - Cyclops' father - escaped a Shi'ar prison. Hepzibah ultimately became Corsair's primary love interest. Even though Marvel Studios wasn't able to put Hepzibah or the Starjammers in the MCU movie when Guardians of the Galaxy 3 was first in development, it's possible Gunn made a small change to account for her appearance and gave Melchior the cosmic role. In doing so, he'd be able to help set up a future X-Men-related MCU project.
Kitty Pryde
If James Gunn was going to adjust Guardians of the Galaxy 3's script to add an X-Men character after Disney's Fox acquisition, that would also open the door for Daniela Melchior to play Kitty Pryde. Previously played by Elliot Page in Fox's X-Men movies, Kitty Pryde's comic storylines previously made the prominent X-Men member a part of the Guardians of the Galaxy. This includes Kitty Pryde becoming Star-Lord for some time after Peter Quill was named the King of the Spartax Empire. Daniela Melchior playing Kitty Pryde in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 likely wouldn't follow that same storyline, but an encounter between her and the team could still happen.
