People frequently seem to claim that Marvel Studios has something of a villain problem, and while it's true that Ronan the Accuser probably wasn't their best effort back in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, the recently released sequel definitely made things right with both Ego the Living Planet and Ayesha.
While Vol. 2 did seemingly spell out who will be taking on the team a few years from now, them being the threequel's only villains seems highly unlikely, hence why we've decided to take a look at the six most likely candidates for Vol. 3's real big bad. Clues have been dropped about some and others would just be downright incredible to see on the big screen, but the suggestions here may surprise you.
So, click through the list below to find the six villains we think stand the greatest chance of showing up in some form when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters roughly three years or so from now.
6. Ultron
I loved James Spader's take on Ultron in the last Avengers movie, and while Joss Whedon may have pretty definitively killed him off, comic book fans know that this villainous android always finds a way to survive. Just like in those, it could be explained in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 that his consciousness was thrown into outer space after his destruction at the hands of The Vision and Marvel could easily make it so that he's bonded with the Phalanx (a techno-organic race that spreads through living creatures) by the time we catch up with him here.
That gives Star-Lord and his team some disposable baddies to take on, while the new life that's breathed into Ultron here could set him up as a major player in the Marvel Cosmic Universe moving forward in Phase 4. If his reemergence ultimately helps bring the Guardians back together with The Avengers, that would be even better, and Gunn using Ultron here would be a smart move for this movie and beyond.
2. Galactus
Is this wishful thinking on our part? Probably. However, in recent years, the relationship between Marvel and Fox has improved greatly and the epic failure of 2015's Fantastic Four reboot may very well have resulted in the rights of those characters returning home just as they did for the likes of Daredevil, Ghost Rider, and The Punisher. With that in mind, these two icons showing up is entirely possible and could set the stage for what's to come in the Marvel Cinematic Universe moving forward.
After all, who better than Galactus and the Silver Surfer to once again bring together The Avengers and Guardians for a team-up? The world eating bad guy has too much potential to be left on a shelf at Fox's headquarters and Vol. 3 could even conclude with the apparent demise of the team at the hands of Galactus. James Gunn has, after all, said that the threequel will bring their story to an end and that would be a pretty permanent one, alright!
1. Adam Warlock
Depending on whether or not you're not familiar with the source material, you may be confused as to the significance of that after-credits scene with Ayesha talking about creating a being called "Adam" to destroy the Guardians. While his origin story is clearly going to be different to his comic book counterpart, Adam Warlock showing up is now pretty much a guarantee and he'll no doubt go to war with Star-Lord and company before seeing the error of his ways and joining the team.
That should be a fun story arc, though it is somewhat disappointing that Adam isn't going to be part of Avengers: Infinity War given his storied history with Thanos. Even so, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 could still set him up as a major player in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and assuming Earth's Mightiest Heroes once again face a cosmic threat somewhere down the line, he'll no doubt wind up coming into play there in a significant way.
Which of these villains would you most like to see show up in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3? Have we missed any other worthy candidates? As always, share your thoughts in the comments section.