Will GOTG 3 Have A Post-Credits Cameo? 6 Best Candidates

A number of Marvel Comics characters are viable candidates for any potential post-credits cameos offered by Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The trilogy is ending, but that doesn't mean Marvel won't use the movie's post-credits scenes to set up new characters to be utilized in future cosmic adventures. After all, the cosmic side of the MCU will live on even as the stories of Star-Lord and the others come to an end.

The direction Marvel took Phase 4 creates the expectation that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is hiding at least one comic character. Across its various Phase 4 installments, Marvel used its after-credits sequences to tease Dane Whitman's transformation into Black Knight, Mahershala Ali's Blade role, and also to introduce key characters like Clea, Hercules, Starfox, and Pip the Troll. That, combined with James Gunn's tendency to include huge teases in his moves' post-credits scenes, give good reasons to suspect that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will keep the trend alive. Here's six heroes and villains who could get a surprise cameo after the movie's ending.

6 Nova

Among the many characters expected to join the MCU in the near future is Richard Rider's Nova. Reportedly, a movie or show centered on the character is in development but has yet to officially join Marvel's Phase 5 or Phase 6 slate. Marvel may be saving such an announcement for after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which is in a prime position to bring him into the fold. In Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos laid waste to Xandar, the home of the Nova Corps in the MCU. The desolation of Xandar was essentially the setup Marvel needed for Nova to one day become a reality. In the comics, Richard was chosen at random to become the new Nova when Xandar was destroyed. If he appears in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, he may not be Nova yet, but a post-credits scene can show a young Richard Rider receiving the helmet that gives him his comic powers.

5 Darkhawk

At one point in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2's development, Gunn planned to use Darkhawk, but the character was cut before the final draft, possibly because of a concern about the film being overstuffed. Since Darkhawk was considered an option before, it's well within the realm of possibility that he'd be in the running for a cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. He isn't a household name by any means, but Marvel's handling of Starfox shows that Marvel can deliver big surprises even with lesser-known superheroes. Similar to what it did with Harry Styles as Starfox, casting an A-list name as Darkhawk would help make his cameo stand out.

Though not as well-known as Nova, Darkhawk is another major figure in Marvel's cosmic stories and someone capable of headlining his own movie or show in the MCU's future. Originally grounded on Earth as an everyman superhero in the mold of Spider-Man, Chris Powell was a typical high school student whose discovery of an alien amulet changed his life forever. By wearing the amulet, Chris found out that he could swap places with an android body which he could control with his mind. As Darkhawk, Chris fought numerous Marvel Comics villains and also served as a member of both the Guardians of the Galaxy and the New Warriors.

4 The Starjammers

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

With the MCU gearing up to retire Star-Lord's team, Guardian of the Galaxy Vol. 3 may lay the ground for a new band of cosmic adventurers to rise up. Instead of teasing a new Guardians lineup, Marvel may introduce a completely different team: the Starjammers. In X-Men comics, the Starjammers debuted as a group of heroic space pirates led by Corsair, Cyclops' long-long father. In the comics books, he was abducted by an alien race called the Shi'ar and turned into a gladiator. After breaking free, he joined forces with a handful of aliens, and thus the Starjammers were born.

Through these heroes, Marvel has the tools to further its X-Men setup in a surprising way, as there's hardly any expectation for a link between Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's story and Marvel's Merry Mutants. In addition to that, a cameo from them would open a doorway for the MCU's X-Men to share some space adventures of their own, considering that it would raise the possibility of a Cyclops-Corsair reunion in a future installment.

3 The Magus

By saving Adam Warlock for Phase 5, Marvel essentially killed any chance the Golden Gladiator had at a fight with Thanos, but the Mad Titan isn't his only noteworthy rival. His other biggest opponent, the Magus, exists as Warlock's evil counterpart. There are different versions of the character's origin in the comics, but arguably his most important story involves Adam purging the evil and good from his soul with the power of the Infinity Gauntlet. This decision resulted in the evil portion of his soul forming the power-hungry Magus. The Infinity Stones have been removed from Adam's MCU story by their destruction in Endgame, but since the MCU's Adam has a gem in his forehead, Marvel may be finding a way to tell his biggest stories regardless. If so, an event in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 could lead to his creation. By revealing him in a post-credits scene, the movie can position the Magus to be one of the MCU's next major villains.

2 Pip the Troll

First seen in Eternals' mid-credits scene, Pip the Troll could receive his second appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. In Marvel Comics, Pip has a reputation as Adam Warlock's sidekick and a source of comedy relief in the hero's stories. Rarely is one seen without the other. How integral their partnership is to Adam's character in Marvel Comics made all the more surprising that Pip was depicted as Starfox's sidekick in Eternals. But, it may be that this change isn't indicative of Marvel's long-term plans for Pip. Marvel could wind up using his introduction in Eternals to take Adam Warlock one step closer to becoming the hero he is in the comics. It can do just that by pairing him with Pip in a post-credits scene.

1 Quasar

quasar in marvel comics screaming as he flies through space

Introduced in the pages of Captain America, SHIELD agent Wendell Vaughn embarked down the path of a superhero when he got his hands on a pair of mysterious bracelets called the Quantum Bands and suited up as Quasar. Granted Green Lantern-like powers by the Quantum Bands, Wendell was chosen by a cosmic being known as Eon to become the Protector of the Universe. As the title implies, this responsibility sent Wendell all over the universe, battling all sorts of cosmic threats and participating in major comic crossovers like Infinity War. As an Avenger and a Guardian, Quasar is certainly a character who's likely to be on Marvel's radar. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 could serve as an early opportunity for Marvel to build interest in his story.

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