Michael Rosenbaum, Sylvester Stallone Expecting Returns to Guardians of the Galaxy Roles – Talking Shop

Most movie fans know the Guardians of the Galaxy roster to be Star-Lord, Gamora, Rocket, Groot, and Drax. However, Marvel Comics readers know there was a different line up of characters who comprised this space band of misfit heroes. Among them, Martinex, Starhawk, Charlie-27, and a few others. In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, writer and director James Gunn honored this legacy by introducing such a line-up of characters which called Michael Rosenbaum and Sylvester Stallone to join the cast. Rosenbaum, who has been hard at work with his very personal Inside of You podcast, told ComicBook.com’s Talking Shop audience that he expects to return for Vol. 3. or elsewhere in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

“[Martinex] was one of the original Guardians of the Galaxy,” Rosenbaum said. “When James told me about it, he says, ‘Hey, you know this is something that could be… It’s not a huge part in the first one, but you’re in the end credits and there’s a good chance you’re gonna come back.’ So I was like, ‘Of course, yeah, let’s do it.’” Rosenbaum does admit, like many others, he was unfamiliar with Martinex and the original Guardians of the Galaxy roster ahead of Vol. 2. He quickly became an expert on the character, right down to his impressive power set.

Gunn and Rosenbaum are close friends but sometimes their movie talks take place on mediums as public as Twitter. “He tweeted the other night, he says, ‘Well if you want to get back in one of these movies, you better get on here in the live chat,’ or something like that,” Rosenbaum recalls. The outcome was Rosenbaum joining ComicBook.com’s Quarantine Watch Party of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 with Gunn, so he might have earned himself that role again!

At a glance, it might seem like Rosenbaum is describing a return to his Martinex role for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. However, as clarified by writer and director James Gunn, the characters might not return in the final installment of the Guardians trilogy but generally in the Marvel Cineamtic Universe. “For the record, I think [Michael Rosenbaum] was simply saying that the plan was for them to come back in the MCU at some point,” Gunn said in a tweet, “not necessarily in Vol. 3.” It’s an interesting thought, as a Guardians 3000 movie or series is more than enough to get fans riled up at the thought but any such claims would be pure speculation, at this point.

Rosenbaum’s Martinex T’Naga character is a silicon-based lifeform with a unique set of abilities. The Pluto-born character (in Marvel Comics) first appeared in Marvel Super-Heroes #18 with the other Guardians of the Galaxy OG’s, brandishing powers like thermokinesis, enhanced vision, and shooting laser-like beams of energy from his hands. None of this, aside from the crystalized body, has been explored in the Marvel Cinematic Universe yet.

“I think his plan is for us to come back so I just don’t know how,” Rosenbaum explained. “I think that was the plan all along…you’re going to see these guys in the end credits. Why bring Stallone on alone just to be in such a small part? You kind of want to see what he does, I mean I don’t know how you wouldn’t.”

In addition to getting Stallone to sign his Rambo lunchbox, Rosenbaum also asked the action star his opinion on whether or not they would be back for future films. “He’s like, ‘You’re asking me, like I know?’ I’m like, ‘You’re Stallone.’ He goes, ‘Look, we’re in the credits, why wouldn’t they bring us back?’ I go, ‘That’s what I’m saying.’ He’s like, ‘I’m not James Gunn, James can do what he wants but look, if I was James Gunn, I’d put us in the movie.’ I’m like, ‘Thanks, Stallone, thank you.’”

This would likely call for the entire team to return, which included Stallone as Starak Agord, Michelle Yeoh as Aleta Agord, Ving Rhames as Charlie-27, and Miley Cyrus and Mainframe. To get familiar with the characters, Marvel’s Guardians 3000 comic is a great place to start.

Are you hoping to see the alternate line up of Guardians characters playing a role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 or elsewhere in the MCU? Share your thoughts in the comment section or send them my way on Instagram and Twitter. The full episode of Talking Shop with Rosenbaum, can be seen in the video above.

Rosenbaum’s Inside of You podcast is available now with the most recent episode featuring The Flash star Grant Gustin.