Marvel Studios suffered some movie delays earlier this week, but one film that didn't budge was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
In fact, there's been plenty of news on the Guardians of the Galaxy front lately with director James Gunn saying the film was scripted, casted and ready to go. Chris Pratt also shared a photo recently celebrating the start of filming on Guardians 3, which is a promising sign that the film is on track.
On the casting side of things, it's expected regulars like Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel and Karen Gillan will also return, but Gunn has also promised plenty of new faces will show up in the sequel.
One of these newcomers is confirmed to be Will Poulter, who will play Adam Warlock, aka a new powerhouse super being in the MCU. But as for the rest of the cast, speculation has been rife about who could be joining the threequel.
James Gunn Debunks Guardians 3 Casting Rumor
Rumors have sprung up recently that The Suicide Squad's Daniela Melchior could be appearing in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The actress posted images on Instagram of her receiving prosthetic makeup on set, which included a bucket of green paint.
Given the timing, some speculated Melchior could be cast in Guardians 3 as Moondragon. However, James Gunn has denied this on Twitter, simply responding to the article with "FALSE".
Gunn went on to joke that maybe he would have considered including Moondragon in Guardians 3 if he had seen Melchior’s picture sooner.
“Honestly maybe if I had seen Daniela Melchior in a bald wig & how cool she looked maybe I would have written Moondragon into the script but Daniela was lazy & didn’t post that picture until today so if you want to blame someone you’re going to have to blame her.”
A user then asked Gunn whether any other The Suicide Squad cast members would be appearing in Guardians 3, to which he said "Maybe".
Could Daniela Melchior Still Be In Guardians 3?
While it appears Gunn has shut down these casting rumors, it's uncertain whether he was denying Melchior's appearance in the film entirely.
The timing of the image would definitely line up with the start of production on Guardians 3, and Melchior's photo hints that she could be playing an alien in whatever project she's working on. The actress doesn't seem to have any other films lined up apart from Assassin Club, which she confirmed had wrapped filming in September.
However, it definitely seems that Moondragon will not be in Guardians 3 according to Gunn's comments, which does indicate Melchior could be teasing her casting in a different film.
Gunn's hints that other The Suicide Squad cast members could be appearing in Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is interesting. The Suicide Squad was stacked with an A-list cast, and Gunn is known to work with actors on more than one occasion; this includes stars like Michael Rooker, who appeared in both Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad.
Other actors that Gunn could be referencing are a mystery, but it would be particularly fun to see a cast member like John Cena join fellow wrestlers Vin Diesel and Dave Bautista in Guardians 3. Really, any The Suicide Squad cast member would make an exciting addition to the Guardians ensemble.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to release on May 5, 2023.
