Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Brought Back Plenty Of Familiar Faces, But There Are Two MCU Vets I Really Wanted To See

Spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 lie ahead, so read at your own risk.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has finally arrived, and the 2023 new movie release is stirring up a considerable amount of buzz. This is because, as our Vol. 3 review explains, it serves as a worthy send-off for Marvel’s lovable misfits. Aside from providing each of the Guardians with great endings, the threequel also features plenty of action, humor and heart. There are also plenty of sweet cameos from familiar faces in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It was great to see those veterans, but there are two particular characters I really wanted to see.

Who Are The Two Guardians Veterans That Didn’t Show Up In Vol. 3?

With the first Guardians movie, writer/director James Gunn introduced a plethora of new characters and entities to the MCU nearly a decade ago. In that latter category is the Nova Corps – a peacekeeping organization that’s situated on the planet Xandar. Two of the group’s most visible members are Irani Rael a.k.a. Nova Prime, played by Glenn Close and corpsman Rhomann Dey, who was portrayed by John C. Reilly. Both were supporting players in that first installment, but they were important to the story. Plus, they were just downright delightful.

John C. Reilly’s affable and witty Dey was introduced early on, as he was present when Peter Quill, Gamora and co. were apprehended on Xandar. He later accepted a distress call from old “Star-Prince” and ultimately convinced the Nova Corps. to assist the cosmic A-holes in taking on Ronan the Accuser’s fleet. As for Nova Prime, she helped lead the charge (from the base) and saw fit to pardon the Guardians after they succeeded in stopping the Kree radical.

Interestingly enough, James Gunn revealed a few years ago that Prime had a scene in 2017’s Vol. 2, but it was ultimately cut. It’s certainly true that the recently released threequel had its fair share of familiar faces, from Stakar Ogord and Yondu to Jason Quill and Howard the Duck. And to be fair, we did learn from 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War that Xandar was decimated by Thanos during his hunt for the Power Stone. (There’s a chance they may not have survived, but there’s also the possibility that they did.) All in all, I just can’t help but shake the feeling that the two Nova devotees should’ve popped in.

How Could Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Have Added Nova Prime And Rhomann Dey?

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James Gunn’s well-reviewed trilogy capper balances a lot of plates as is, so I’ll admit that it would’ve been challenging to fit the two characters in and give them substantial roles. However, they easily could’ve cameoed at some point like Howard or the Broker did. The most straightforward way would've been for the two to reach out to the team at their base on Knowhere. The Guardians are a well-known protection unit in the galaxy by this point and, theoretically, they would still have dealings with the corpsmen. I could see Prime or Dey virtually checking in with Rocket or Nebula early on in the film during which they would provide the organization with mission reports. In the process, fans could’ve even gotten an update on how their homeworld is recovering after Thanos’ attack.

It’s hard not to think about what might’ve been, but any other fans who feel this way may not want to dwell on it for long. After all, there’s a chance we may get to see these characters in another future Marvel Studios production

Both MCU Vets Could Return In The Rumored Nova Project

Richard Rider – who comic book readers likely know as the cosmic hero Nova – is a character fans have long wanted to see in the MCU. He’s yet to appear in any production, and even James Gunn explained that he didn’t have plans for the hero. But at the end of last year, reports began to surface about the crusader making his debut in a self-titled Marvel Studios Special – not unlike Werewolf By Night and the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. If this production is indeed real, then it would be the perfect opportunity for Glenn Close and John C. Reilly to reprise their roles.

When it comes to returning MCU characters, it feels like just about anything is possible at this point, and I’m not just referring to Vol. 3’s sweet cameos. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings marked the return of Sir Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery. Meanwhile, Liv Tyler and Tim Blake Nelson are set to reprise their roles as The Incredible Hulk’s Betty Ross and Samuel Sterns, respectively, for Captain America: New World Order next year. So even though I’m a little bummed to have missed Nova Prime and Rhomann Dey this time around, I remain confident that we’ll see them again down the road.

You can see the awesome Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in a theater near you, and know that the holiday special and first two movies are available to stream using a Disney+ subscription.