Three stars from Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy franchise are officially heading to the DC Universe.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, released in 2023, brought emotional closure to the trilogy that began nearly a decade earlier. The film, written and directed by James Gunn, marked the end of a long arc for the original team and highlighted Rocket Raccoon as its unlikely center.
Rocket, voiced by Bradley Cooper, took on a central role in a story that explored trauma, survival, and identity. By the film’s end, he assumed leadership of a new Guardians lineup that included Groot, voiced by Vin Diesel. Peter Quill, played by Chris Pratt, returned to Earth, Drax (Dave Bautista) and Nebula (Karen Gillan) stayed behind to rebuild Knowhere, and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) chose to leave on her own journey. Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), who had rejoined the group from an alternate timeline, parted ways with them to return to the Ravagers.
Since the trilogy’s end, its actors have shared differing opinions on whether that means the end of the road for their characters in the MCU. The end credits of the film confirmed that Star-Lord will, in fact, return, with Pratt also making it clear that his time with Marvel isn’t over. Saldaña, on the other hand, has made it equally clear that she will not be back as Gamora, even encouraging Marvel to recast her character. Bautista also seems to have cut ties with the franchise.
Guardians Stars Join ‘Superman’
While several Guardians actors are done with the MCU, it seems like they’re not quite as done with superhero films in general with several stars confirmed to appear in Gunn’s DC Universe.
In an interview with Buzzfeed Australia, the writer and director claimed that Bradley Cooper, Pom Klementieff, and Michael Rooker will all appear in his upcoming film Superman, currently scheduled for release on July 11, 2025.
“I will give you something that nobody knows,” he said. “Pom Klementieff is one of the robots. In that same scene, it’s Bradley [Cooper], it’s also Pom, and Michael Rooker is another one of the robots. We’ve got two Guardians right there.”
The film stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. It will be the first theatrical feature in DC’s new “Gods and Monsters” continuity, with the previous Man of Steel actor, Henry Cavill, controversially booted from the role.
This isn’t Rooker’s first stint in the DCU. He already appears as Red St. Wild in Peacemaker Season 2 and voices Sam Fitzgibbon in Creature Commandos. He will now voice one of the robots in Superman’s Fortress of Solitude.
Meanwhile, Cooper has long been rumored to star as Jor-El, Superman’s biological Kryptonian father.
Gunn’s Road from Marvel to DC
Gunn’s own defection from the MCU to the DCU was extremely controversial.
In 2018, James Gunn was abruptly fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 after a series of offensive tweets from years earlier resurfaced. The dismissal, announced by Disney, triggered widespread backlash from both fans and Hollywood insiders. Many viewed the decision as reactive and disproportionate, given Gunn’s public apologies and the context in which the tweets were originally made.
In a rare show of solidarity, the Guardians cast—led by Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, and Bradley Cooper—signed an open letter supporting Gunn and urging Disney to reconsider. They praised his character and creative leadership, calling him a unifying force behind the franchise. The cast’s public stand helped galvanize fan campaigns and shifted the broader narrative surrounding Gunn’s removal.
Ultimately, Disney reinstated Gunn in 2019, allowing him to complete his Marvel trilogy. The move was met with relief from fans and industry figures alike. During the interim, Gunn had already accepted an offer from Warner Bros. to write and direct The Suicide Squad, bringing his signature tone to a flailing DC property and proving his ability to revive struggling franchises.
That success led Warner Bros. Discovery to take a bold step in 2022, appointing Gunn and longtime collaborator Peter Safran as co-heads of the newly restructured DC Studios. Gunn’s blend of irreverent humor, emotional depth, and fan credibility signaled a dramatic shift for DC’s cinematic future. With a new slate starting with Superman, the studio is betting on Gunn to reshape its identity after a rough few years at the box office (the performance of Black Adam and Blue Beetle should tell you all you need to know on that note).
What to Expect from ‘Superman’
Superman will introduce a wide range of characters from across the DC mythos. Skyler Gisondo will play Jimmy Olsen, with Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher and Wendell Pierce as Perry White. Additional heroes include Green Lantern Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), and Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi).
The film is tracking to earn $135 million at the box office, putting it way above some of DC’s more lackluster recent efforts but still lagging behind Batman v Superman: The Dawn of Justice.
Are you excited for Superman?
The post It’s Official: 3 ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Actors Defecting from MCU For DC Universe appeared first on Inside the Magic.
