Back in 2014, Marvel Studios did the impossible once again––in fact, they went even further. Instead of pulling a relatively unknown character into the spotlight, they plucked an entire group out of obscurity and threw them directly into the hearts of audiences worldwide with Guardians of the Galaxy.
While the group was great, and the big talking tree went on to be a phenomenon, another band of misfits in the film went on to have a greater impact than expected. That group is none other than Yondu's Ravagers, the group that Peter Quill used to be a part of, and who have helped the heroes out a time or two.
With Marvel Studios' What If...? finally here, the group is coming back into the spotlight. The show's second episode features T'Challa as Star-Lord, who, like Peter, has a direct connection to Yondu and his crew.
The episode hasn't aired yet, but fans know that both Chadwick Boseman and Michael Rooker are returning in their respective roles. This will be the first time Rooker has returned to the MCU since his death in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
Thankfully, What If...? provides plenty of second chances for characters, and Rooker may want more than this one tale to be told:
ROOKER WANTS MORE RAVAGERS
Talking to Entertainment Weekly, Michael Rooker was asked how his appearance in What If...? could open the door to future stories down the line for the MCU.
Opening that door is something Rooker "certainly hope[s]" will lead to more stories down the line, saying "that would be 'what if':"
"Well, I certainly hope it does. That would be a great 'what if.' [Laughs] I would jump on that bandwagon right away. It is a wonderful little niche in the armor to open it up and see what happened, what could happen. What if we told more of Yondu’s story and the Ravagers?"
In fact, Rooker believes that "fans would go crazy over it," and that he's "got [his] fingers crossed:"
"I bloody think the fans would go crazy over it. I think it’d be a blast for fans to get to experience that because you gave them a beautiful story and a window and now it can kind of be whatever you want it to be. We’ve got our fingers crossed. We want more!"
MORE RAVAGERS TO COME?
Michael Rooker isn't the only one who wants more stories told about the Ravager clan. James Gunn recently spoke out saying that he would love a show about The Ravagers, possibly even focused on the original crew introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
While that hasn't happened, James Gunn still has plenty of Guardians-centered projects, including Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, and likely even I Am Groot. There's probably a little too much on Gunn's plate for him to do the hypothetical project anytime soon.
Nonetheless, Yondu's appearance in the T'Challa episode of What If...? seems like it is going to lead to an entertaining Ravagers tale that's only possible in this show. While Yondu's appearance in future live-action projects doesn't look all that likely, it wouldn't be surprising if the character shows up multiple times before this season is done.
