Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is filled with new and returning characters to end James Gunn's incredible MCU trilogy.
From Star-Lord to Cosmo, the threequel didn't waste time in bringing back franchise favorites while also introducing fresh characters that pushed the story into exciting narrative territories.
Guardians of the Galaxy 3 Cast: Full List of Actors & Characters
Warning - the rest of this article contains spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
1. ) Peter Quill/Star-Lord - Chris Pratt
Chris Pratt returns as Peter Quill in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. In the threequel, Peter did everything he could to save his best friend, Rocket, and rally the Guardians to ultimately defeat the High Evolutionary.
Moreover, the movie's ending and post-credits scene also confirmed that the legendary Star-Lord will return for more adventures on Earth this time around.
There's a strong chance that he will team up with the Avengers in his next adventure. Given that the status of Earth's Mightiest Heroes is unknown, the former Guardians leader could be what the team needs in order to make a triumphant return.
2.) Gamora - Zoe Saldana
Although Gamora died in Avengers: Infinity War, Zoe Saldana is back as the ruthless warrior in Vol. 3 after Avengers: Endgame's time-travel shenanigans.
While the film revealed that Gamora was now the leader of the Ravagers, the former Guardian of the Galaxy still managed to rejoin Quill, Nebula, and the others for one final mission to save Rocket and ultimately defeat the High Evolutionary.
At the end of the film, Gamora decided to stick with the Ravagers instead of rejoining the Guardians as a full-time member. Still, Gamora was able to have some type of closure with Peter before leaving.
3.) Drax - Dave Bautista
Dave Bautista has been open about his Marvel retirement as Drax in the months leading to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, with him saying that the threequel is his "perfect exit."
Vol. 3 did manage to feature an incredible send-off to Drax, showcasing top-notch comedic timing with the character, heartfelt moments with the team, and a fitting ending where he served as a father figure for the children saved from the High Evolutionary.
4.) Groot - Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel's Groot was stronger than ever in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, considering that the character is more muscular and "swole" in the threequel, as described by James Gunn.
Throughout the movie, Groot took care of his best friend, Rocket while unleashing his new skill set to help the team take down the High Evolutionary.
At the end of Vol.3, Groot joined Rocket and the new iteration of Guardians to protect the galaxy from many threats.
5.) Rocket - Bradley Cooper, Noa Raskin (Baby), Sean Gunn (Young)
Many would argue that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is Rocket's movie, and this claim is quite fitting, especially after the character's origin story was pushed to the forefront.
Bradley Cooper returned with an incredible performance as Rocket, and he was not alone in that effort. Noa Raskin voiced Baby Rocket while Sean Gunn portrayed Young Rocket.
In the film, Rocket finally defeated the High Evolutionary, successfully redeeming himself and finally avenging his friends who met their death at the villain's hands. In the end, Rocket became the captain of the new Guardians of the Galaxy, protecting the universe from different kinds of threats.
6.) Nebula - Karen Gillan
From villain to hero, Karen Gillan's Nebula returned in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as a full-fledged member of the team.
The movie managed to establish how Nebula transformed from being a selfish villain to an important member of the team. More so, she was also able to adapt the Guardians' sense of humor, which is quite fitting.
In the end, Nebula decided to stay on Knowhere to lead the people to new adventures while also opening many opportunities for a future appearance down the line.
7.) Mantis - Pom Klementieff
Pom Klementieff's Mantis has been a notable member of the Guardians ever since her debut in Vol.2.
After The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special confirmed that she is Peter Quill's sister, the threequel showed more of her value in the team, such as surprisingly taking down foes at ease while also serving as the heart and voice of reason of the team.
However, in the movie's ending, Mantis left the team to seek out adventures on her own. It remains to be seen where Mantis could pop up next after finding her purpose, but a visit to Earth is possible since her brother is already there.
8.) Kraglin - Sean Gunn
After being used in minor roles in past MCU flicks, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 highlighted Kraglin's importance to the team like never before.
Throughout the threequel, Kraglin struggled to control Yondu's arrow, but ultimately, he succeeded when his former captain reminded him to use his heart in doing so.
Given that Kraglin is an official Guardian of the Galaxy by the film's end, it looks like fans will see a lot more of Sean Gunn's notable MCU hero.
9.) Adam Warlock - Will Poulter
Will Poulter made his MCU debut in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as Adam Warlock, the creation of the Sovereign as a means of revenge against the titular heroes.
Although he was a villain at first, Vol. 3 redeemed Warlock at the end when the Guardians gave him a second chance and by saving Quill from his demise. Warlock ultimately became a member of Rocket's Guardians in the end.
Vol. 3 director James Gunn already confirmed that Warlock could become a "really important" character in the MCU, indicating a number of exciting possibilities for the character's future.
10.) The High Evolutionary - Chukwudi Iwuji
Chukwudi Iwuji made an emphatic MCU debut as the High Evolutionary in Vol. 3. Gunn said that the character is the franchise's "cruelest" villain yet, and it is backed up by the fans' hatred towards him.
In fact, even his subordinates turned against him due to his obsession with capturing Rocket, thus further cementing why the High Evolutionary is pure evil.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 director James Gunn confirmed that a deleted scene confirming that the High Evolutionary is still alive is canon to the MCU, indicating that the villain could return at some point.
11.) Record Theel - Nico Santos
Nico Santos portrayed Record Theel, one of High Evolutionary's loyal followers. Record Theel was integral to Vol. 3's story, being the one that held the passcode to save Rocket's life.
12.) Recorder Vim - Miriam Shor
Miriam Shor portrayed Recorder Vim, another loyal follower of the High Evolutionary.
The character had a redemption arc in the end when she rallied the High Evolutionary's forces against him due to the villain's obsession to obtain Rocket.
However, Recorder Vim met her demise when the psychotic villain unleashed his full power.
13.) Ayesha - Elizabeth Debicki
After serving as one of the villains of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Elizabeth Debicki returned as Ayesha, the High Priestess of the Sovereign.
In the film, Ayesha was mainly seen ordering Adam Warlock to wreak havoc against the Guardians. However, the villain ultimately died during the destruction of Counter-Earth, forcing Warlock to reflect on his allegiance.
14.) Cosmo - Maria Bakalova
Maria Bakalova played the voice of Cosmo, a telepathic Soviet dog who is a full-fledged member of the Guardians in Vol. 3.
The movie mainly tackled Cosmo and Kraglin's dynamic, ultimately resolving their petty fight when the former saved the latter against High Evolutionary's forces.
Given Cosmo's importance in Marvel Comics and Guardians of the Galaxy stories, Vol. 3 likely won't be the hero's last appearance.
15.) Phyla - Kai Zen
While some initially thought that Kai Zen's MCU character was a glorified extra in the movie, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's post-credits scene surprised everyone when she became a full-fledged member of Rocket's team.
In the comics, Phyla, who many deemed as the MCU's new Captain Marvel, is a genetically engineered being from Mar-Vell's DNA that has super-strength, speed, toughness, flight, and energy manipulation.
A glimpse of the character's powers was seen in the post-credits tag, and it is expected that more of her heritage and backstory will be explored in future projects.
16.) Blurp - Dee Bradley Baker
Veteran voice actor Dee Bradley Baker returned to the MCU as Blurp. The actor previously served as the voice of Morris in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Blurp was initially a Ravager's pet, but his owner was killed by Adam Warlock. After the tragic death, Warlock became fond of Blurp, adopting him as a pet in the latter half of the movie.
Blurp returned in the movie's post-credits scene as one of the members (or mascot?) of Rocket's Guardians.
17.) Lylla - Linda Cardellini
Linda Cardellini (who also portrays the MCU's Laura Barton) provided the voice for Lylla, one of Rocket's friends and his love interest.
Lylla tragically met her demise in the hands of the High Evolutionary, with the villain killing her upon escaping from her cage. However, the character did return in a vision during Rocket's crossroads into life and death, telling her friend that it was not his time yet to join them.
The emotional sequence served as Rocket's closure with his friends, thus completing his gut-wrenching character arc.
18.) Teefs - Asim Chaudhry
Asim Chaudry voiced Teefs in Vol. 3, one of Rocket's first friends and a product of High Evolutionary's experiments.
Similar to Lylla, Teefs met his demise when High Evolutionary's soldiers fired on their cages upon escaping.
19.) Floor - Mikaela Hoover
Mikaela Hoover played the voice of the genetically modified rabbit, Floor, one of Rocket's first friends. Unfortunately, Floor also died upon escaping High Evolutionary's cells.
20.) Stakar Ogord - Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone's Stakar Ogord had a brief yet prominent role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, serving as an important figure in Gamora's Ravagers team
At the end of Vol. 2, Stakar reassembled his former crew of Ravagers, and the threequel showed that they are still intact and helping the group in the outskirts of the galaxy.
21.) Mainframe - Tara Strong
Miss Minutes actress Tara Strong returned to the MCU as the voice of Mainframe, replacing Miley Cyrus in the role. Mainframe was a member of Stakar Ogord's former crew who returned as part of the Ravagers in the movie.
22.) Martinex - Michael Rosenbaum
Smallville alum Michael Rosenbaum reprised his small role as Martinex in Vol. 3, serving as one of the loyal members of both the Stakar's group and the Ravagers.
23.) Krugarr - Jared Gore
Jared Gore is back as Krugarr in Vol. 3, a master of the mystic arts and a member of both the Ravagers and Stakar's old crew.
24.) Master Karja - Nathan Fillion
After lending his voice to a minor character in Vol. 1, Nathan Fillion made his live-action MCU debut as Master Karja in the threequel. The character served as the leader of the sentries of Orgoscope.
25.) Administrator Kwol - Jennifer Holland
Peacemaker and The Suicide Squad star Jennifer Holland, who is also James Gunn's wife, finally made her Marvel debut in Vol. 3 as Administrator Kwol of Orgoscope.
The actress only had a minor role in the movie, but she had a memorable moment when she was shot in the leg by Gamora.
26.) Ura - Daniela Melchior
The Suicide Squad alum Daniela Melchior also made her MCU debut as Ura, a manager at Orgoscope.
The character played a prominent role when she was kidnapped by Peter Quill, Gamora, and Nebula in order to gain access to Rocket's file.
27.) War Pig - Judy Greer
Ant-Man actress Judy Greer, who portrays Scott Lang's ex-wife and Cassie's mom, had a surprise role in Vol. 3 as the voice of War Pig, one of High Evolutionary's dangerous enforcers.
28.) Yondu - Michael Rooker
Despite dying during the final moments of Vol. 2, Michael Rooker made a timely return as a ghost of Yondu to help Kraglin remember to use his heart in controlling his arrow. This hero got his own Force Ghost moment, ultimately leading him to inspire Kraglin to help save Knowhere in the final battle.
29.) Howard the Duck - Seth Green
Seth Green made another brief appearance as Howard the Duck in Vol. 3, with the character playing a game of cards alongside Kraglin and Cosmo in Knowhere.
30.) The Broker - Christopher Fairbank
Christopher Fairbank had a brief appearance as the Broker in Vol. 3 as one of the card players alongside Howard the Duck, Kraglin, and Cosmo.
The character initially appeared during the first Guardians of the Galaxy as a merchant from Xandar who agreed to buy the Orb from the Ravagers.
31.) Bzermikitokolok - Rhett Miller
Singer Rhett Miller returns as Bzermikitokolok in Vol. 3 after his appearance in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. The character appeared as one of the citizens of Knowhere.
32.) Grandpa Quill - Gregg Henry
Gregg Henry's Grandpa Quill returned in the final moments of Vol. 3, finally reuniting with Chris Pratt's Peter after all these years. There is a lot of catching up to do between the two, and it is expected that it will carry over in future projects.
33.) Grandma Quill - Karen Abercrombie
Upon returning to Earth, Peter Quill was able to track down his childhood home, and the one who answered the door is Grandma Quill, a character played by actress Karen Abercrombie.
34.) The Boss’s Nephew - Kyle Mclean
Kyle Mclean played the boss's nephew in Guardians 3, the character who was the receiving ends of insults in Orgocorp.
Mclean served as a stunt performer in Agents of SHIELD, Avengers: Infinity War, and Thor: Ragnarok.
35.) Carrot Head Guard - Jonathan Fritschi
Jonathan Fritschi portrayed the Carrot head guard of Orgocorp who Gamora insulted during battle.
35.) Neelie - Darla Delgado
Darla Delgado played Neelie, the Humanimal who helps the Guardians find High Evolutionary's ship in Counter-Earth.
Delgado is known for portraying Major Arbuckle in Doom Patrol.
36.) Till - Randy Havens
Randy Havens portrayed Till, the Humanimal husband of Neelie.
Havens played Kamala Khan's driving instructor in Ms. Marvel.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is now playing in theaters worldwide.
