Guardians of the Galaxy 3 can give justice to one missing MCU hero with Daniela Melchior’s casting in the sequel, if she plays Phyla-Vell.
Daniela Melchior’s casting in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 can help give justice to Phyla-Vell. When Marvel Studios decided to turn the Guardians of the Galaxy into the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s next superteam, a more modern version of the team was selected. This meant Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot were founding members of the team. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 expanded their ranks to include Nebula, Mantis, and Yondu at various points, while Thor even becomes an honorary member in Thor: Love and Thunder.
The MCU has turned this collection of characters into household names, but Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is confirmed to be the last appearance for this iteration of the team. That has led to great speculation that some of the bigger team members will die to conclude James Gunn’s emotional story. Drax and Rocket are two of the biggest candidates to be killed, but that does not mean the Guardians of the Galaxy team will be done forever in the MCU. It is instead widely expected that Guardians of the Galaxy 3 will introduce a new lineup of cosmic heroes that can become the second iteration of the galactic protectors. The confirmed role for Adam Warlock – and casting of Will Poulter as him specifically – supports the idea that the Guardians of the Galaxy will live on with new members, as he was an original member of the iteration of the comic team the movies took heavy inspiration from.
Throughout the development of Guardians of the Galaxy 3, rumors and speculation have continued to suggest that Phyla-Vell could be one of the powerful cosmic heroes the movie introduces who can play a big role in the team’s and MCU’s future. James Gunn previously teased that the movie sets up the next 10-20 years of the MCU’s cosmic stories, and it is impossible to imagine Phyla-Vell is not part of those plans. Now that The Suicide Squad‘s breakout star Daniela Melchior is part of Guardians of the Galaxy 3‘s cast, she would make for an excellent choice to play her. It would also help bring justice to the character, as she was also an original member of the 2008 lineup. She’s been disappointingly left out of the MCU to this point, but now Guardians of the Galaxy 3 can fix this if Daniela Melchior is playing Phyla-Vell.
Why Phyla-Vell Would Work In Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 3
Beyond the comic precedent for Phyla-Vell to be part of the Guardians of the Galaxy team, there are plenty of reasons why she could work in Guardians of the Galaxy 3. The introduction of Adam Warlock and possible appearance by High Evolutionary indicates how James Gunn is bringing even more powerful characters into the fold now. Phyla-Vell would be another step in that direction, allowing her to become an integral part of the team quickly. She could also help connect Guardians of the Galaxy 3 to two of the MCU’s other cosmic franchises, Captain Marvel and Eternals. Her comic origin is tied to the original Captain Marvel and a Titan named Elysius. Since the movie is supposed to play a big role in signaling what is next for the MCU’s cosmic storytelling, Phyla-Vell can be a small connection point between the various franchises.
Since Daniela Melchior’s role is expected to be small, Phyla-Vell’s Guardians of the Galaxy 3 appearance could also be more about the future than the present story at hand. She can be included near the end of the movie as Star-Lord, Rocket, or whoever is leading the Guardians looks to assemble a new roster of heroes. In doing so, the MCU building up to an Annihilation event film can continue too. While Phyla-Vell only joined the Guardians after this event in the comics, Marvel Studios could flip this and have her on the team when Annihilus strikes.
Phyla-Vell’s Marvel Comics Powers Explained
Phyla-Vell’s powers in Marvel Comics are quite vast and often change depending on the current source of her abilities. As the creation of Mar-Vell and Eylsius, she is a Kree/Titan hybrid and has superior genetics that provide her with the usual levels of superhuman strength, agility, speed, and more. Phyla-Vell’s powers traditionally come from the Quantum Bands after she acquires them from Quasar. She can use the Quantum Bands to turn the cosmic energy she absorbs into constructs, such as weapons and shields, but she can also shoot beams of the cosmic energy as well. This allows for the creation of her most iconic weapon in the comics, the Quantum Sword/Oblivion Sword. This weapon was nearly her demise, as Adam Warlock’s evil self, Magus, seemingly killed her with it. Phyla-Vell also possessed cosmic awareness for a time in the comics, but she lost it after using the Quantum Bands. Her powers more recently were amplified by becoming the Avatar of Oblivion – which she did to try and save her girlfriend Moondragon – but was killed by Thanos shortly thereafter. Clearly, Daniela Melchior playing Phyla-Vell in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 would further raise the movie’s power levels.
- Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)Release date: Jul 08, 2022
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever/Black Panther 2 (2022)Release date: Nov 11, 2022
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)Release date: Feb 17, 2023
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)Release date: May 05, 2023
- The Marvels/Captain Marvel 2 (2023)Release date: Jul 28, 2023
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