Guardians of the Galaxy: James Gunn Confirms This Marvel Hero Was “Almost” in Vol. 2

Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy franchise has brought in some of the most beloved and obscure characters in the Marvel cosmic mythos, turning them into instant fan-favorites when they hit the screen. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 alone saw Mantis become an integral part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, while characters like Stakar Ogord, Charlie-27, Martinex, and Aleta Ogord appeared in an already classic post-credits scene. As it turns out, writer/director James Gunn had an idea for another Marvel character in the movie, one that ultimately didn’t make it to the screen.

After some Marvel fans took to Twitter to tell Gunn that they’d like to see him tackle a solo Darkhawk movie for Marvel, the filmmaker revealed that he actually had plans for Darkhawk in Guardians Vol. 2. Gunn didn’t offer any major details, but he replied and said that Darkhawk was “almost” included in the second Guardians film.

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Gunn has a knack for making lesser-appreciated comic book characters widely beloved by movie audiences everywhere. Rocket Raccoon is more popular than ever thanks to the Guardians films. Gunn’s work with Warner Bros. and DC has turned Peacemaker into one of the most popular antiheroes around. 

Nebula is another character that has been given a new life under Gunn’s leadership. Played by Karen Gillan, the daughter of Thanos is a massive favorite amongst fans and has enjoyed one of the best redemptive arcs of the MCU to-date. 

“I love my character so much. I’m obsessed with her. Honestly, I’m just fascinated.” Gillan recently told io9. “I think it’s just been so lucky. It’s like the gift that keeps on giving because she starts off as this villain, and I was given the opportunity to really kind of show her perspective and her point of view on things. I think’s been like six movies, and I just think she’s completely fascinating. Her whole family dynamic, her upbringing, toxic narcissistic family system. It’s all the stuff I love to explore.”

Do you wish Darkhawk would’ve made the cut in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2? Would you like to see him appear in Guardians 3? Let us know in the comments!