Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Who Are the Watchers?

The Marvel Universe has many powerful and iconic cosmic entities – many of which fans are still […]

November 9, 2017, 5:53pm

The Marvel Universe has many powerful and iconic cosmic entities – many of which fans are still waiting to see be adapted for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Videos by ComicBook.com

We’ve already seen Marvel Cosmic figures like The Asgardian Gods, Dormammu, The Celestials, The Collector and The Grandmaster all adapted for the MCU, but there are so many other entities that we’ve either heard mention of (The Living Tribunal, Mephisto), or only gotten brief glimpses of (Eternity)

Case in point: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 introduced an especially iconic set of Marvel Cosmic characters, but only teased them in quick cameo, with little or no Explanation.

So Who Are The Watchers? Let’s break down their history in Marvel Comics, and discuss their future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Eyes on the Universe

In Marvel Comics, The Watchers are one of the most ancient species in the universe. At some point, after attempting (and failing) to spread enlightenment, The Watchers took on a vow on total neutrality and non-interference with universal events, opting instead to observe universal events unfold.

The Watchers maintain their vantage point using a combination of powers, like time/space/energy/molecular manipulation, psychic abilities, and advanced technology. Whenever a Watcher is present during a major moment or battle in the Marvel Universe, it is a signifier that the event being observed is a pivotal one. And, even though the outcome could have major ramifications for the entire universe, The Watchers will not intervene to save the day – with the exception of one.

Uatu is a Watcher of great significance in the Marvel Universe, as he is the only one to break the code of his species, revealing himself to Earth’s superheroes and aiding them on numerous occasions to keep evil from sweeping the universe. Uatu’s actions have gotten him banished from his race, but have also inspired The Watchers into rare moments of action.

Eyes on the MCU

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 revealed the existence of The Watchers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a very unique and fun way.

The Watchers are spotted during a sequence with Rocket Raccoon, Yondu, and Groot making excessive hyper-space jumps to reach Ego’s planet – and then, later, during one of GotGV2‘s end-credits scene. The interstellar observers are spotted conversing with an astronaut version of Stan Lee, who is explaining all of his various MCU cameos to a trio of Watchers.

There are plenty of fun geeky questions to dive into about how/why MCU Stan Lee is a being who can appear in so many places. However, the more important development is that The Watchers do exist in the MCU, and since the time of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2014), we know they’ve been aware of what is transpiring with earth’s heroes.

In the comics, The Watchers have been pivotal players in big cosmic events like the Infinity Saga, so they could show up again in Avengers: Infinity War. In fact, there has been speculation that Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage joined the MCU to play a Watcher, with the obvious choice being Uatu. That’s not at all confirmed (other strong possibilities include M.O.D.O.K. and Pip the Troll), but it would be cool.