Annihilators: How Nova and Silver Surfer Could Be the Future After Guardians of the Galaxy Ends
Soon enough, it may be quite a time to be a fan of cosmic characters within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The 2023 release slate for Marvel Studios features virtually only cosmic-adjacent projects from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania to The Marvels and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Even more, two recent reports suggest more space-faring Marvel icons will also join the mix before too long at all.
Over the course of the past few months, both Nova and Silver Surfer have been rumored to be getting their own Disney+ specials in the vein of Werewolf by Night and the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. The new Special Presentation format seems to have gained serious traction at the House of Ideas, enough so it could change the very format that MCU has been built upon over the past two decades.
The Guardians of the Galaxy could be replaced
Time and time again, James Gunn and the cast have said Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 would serve as the last film this current version of the group appears on-screen together. Given that Gunn often tugs at the heartstrings with his storytelling, it's all but guaranteed that means there will be death and departure aplenty.
It might be because of that the Guardians are replaced as Marvel's flagship cosmic team with another popular one involving more cosmic favorites: the Annihilators.
Who are the Annihilators?
Spinning out of the cosmic events the MCU's version of the Guardians are based on, the Annihilators were a short-lived team featuring some of the Marvel Universe's most powerful characters. That includes Silver Surfer, Gladiator, Quasar, and Beta Ray Bill to name a few. While Nova himself wasn't officially a member, things should certainly be changed for live-action, swapping out Quasar for the Human Rocket.
While it's not likely Marvel Studios will stop using the Guardians of the Galaxy brand, it stands to reason this iteration of the Guardians will be no more and will instead be a blend of the Guardians and the Annihilators. It also helps move things along, allowing Marvel to potentially introduce both Nova and Silver Surfer in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 before giving them their own specials to help flesh out character and story before additional MCU stories.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is currently set for release on May 5, 2023. What other cosmic characters would you like to see join the MCU for an Annihilators flick? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting our writer @AdamBarnhardt up on Twitter to chat all things MCU!