Guardians of the Galaxy 3 leaks could reveal an exciting new team member

Star-Lord wants you to join the Guardians of the Galaxy! Well, not exactly, but with Guardians 3 in the middle of production, a new leak suggests that the team is expanding to include some exciting characters from the comics. How will that affect the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Let’s dive in.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3.

Guardians of the Galaxy 3 leak reveal a surprising change

Set photos from Guardians of the Galaxy 3 recently surfaced online, showing Star-Lord and Gamora wearing new matching outfits. (The pictures, which you can see here, also show some funky aliens created using practical effects for the Marvel movie.)

Not only do those outfits look pretty spiffy, but they’re a direct reference to the suits worn by the Guardians in their 2008 reboot, which introduced the superhero lineup featured in the movies. The 2008 team featured:

• Star-Lord
• Adam Warlock
• Drax the Destroyer
• Gamora
• Phyla-Vell
• Rocket Raccoon
• Groot
• Mantis

If you think this lineup looks familiar, you’re not wrong. Almost everyone on this list is a core part of the team in the MCU’s depiction of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Based on these leaked photos, you can also add Nebula to the list, which may come as a surprise given her often-antagonistic role in the movies.

You probably also noticed two names on this list that might be unfamiliar. First is Adam Warlock, who we already know will appear in Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3 where he’ll be played by Will Poulter. But what about Phyla-Vell? Signs seem to suggest director James Gunn is getting the entire team together, and that could include her as well. Here’s why that matters to the MCU.

Guardians of the Galaxy 3 and Phyla-Vell

Phyla-Vell has gone by many names in Marvel Comics, including Quasar, Captain Marvel, and Martyr. Created in 2004 by Peter David and Paul Azaceta for Captain Marvel vol. 5 #16, Phyla-Vell is the artificially created offspring of Mar-Vell (aka, the big bad from the Captain Marvel movie).

She’s similar in construction to the Eternals, possessing super-strength, flight, and the ability to fire energy blasts. She can also absorb energy attacks and dish them back out. She also has “cosmic awareness,” which basically translates to the ability to sense any threats anywhere in the universe, whether it's a planet being destroyed or cancer cells growing in her own body.

Phyla-Vell also gains possession of the Quantum Bands, giving her additional powers to manipulate and control energy on a cosmic level. However, this causes her to lose her cosmic awareness, which she regains only after losing the bands.

In other words, Phyla-Vell is a powerful cosmic superbeing who doesn’t exactly fit in with the scrappy team that is the current Guardians of the Galaxy. Then again, with Adam Warlock also joining the team, there’s no denying that things are about to change. Throwing in another super-being could help keep things balanced while also creating a connection between this movie and the upcoming Captain Marvel sequel.

Of course, this is just speculation, but it seems like a decent bet considering the comics that inspired the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. And if nothing else, at least now their outfits match.

Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3 is set to premiere