With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 now in cinemas, here’s your guide to both the cast and the beloved characters they play.
Nearly 10 years after James Gunn turned a Z-list group of Marvel superheroes into one of the franchise’s most successful and revered household names, the end is nigh for the Guardians of the Galaxy.
With the writer-director jumping ship to DC to lead the next era of its cinematic universe, this is an official, no-holds-barred farewell for him and his team, with many of the stars echoing his goodbyes and parting ways with their roles for good. Whatever happens, it’s gonna be emotional.
So, with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 dominating the box office and audience expectations – read our 5-star review here – here are the characters you should know in the final installment’s cast. Warning: spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 to follow…
Contents:
- Peter Quill / Star-Lord: Chris Pratt
- Gamora: Zoe Saldana
- Drax the Destroyer: Dave Bautista
- Groot: Vin Diesel
- Rocket Raccoon: Bradley Cooper
- Nebula: Karen Gillan
- Mantis: Pom Klementieff
- Ayesha: Elizabeth Debicki
- Adam Warlock: Will Poulter
- Kraglin Obfonteri: Sean Gunn
- The High Evolutionary: Chukwudi Iwuji
- Cosmo the Spacedog: Maria Bakalova
- Stakar Ogord: Sylvester Stallone
- Lylla the Otter: Linda Cardellini
- Teefs: Asim Chaudhry
- Floor: Mikaela Hoover
- Master Karja: Nathan Fillion
- Kwol: Jennifer Holland
- Ura: Daniela Melchior
- Martinex: Michael Rosenbaum
- War Pig: Judy Greer
- Howard the Duck: Seth Green
- Yondu: Michael Rooker
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 cast and characters
Below you’ll find a list of all the major characters you need to know in the cast of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3.
The official synopsis for the film reads: “Our beloved band of misfits are settling into life on Knowhere, but it isn’t long before their lives are upended by the echoes of Rocket’s turbulent past. Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him on a dangerous mission to save Rocket’s life – a mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.”
Peter Quill / Star-Lord: Chris Pratt
Chris Pratt plays Peter Quill, a Celestial-human hybrid who was abducted from Earth as a young boy and raised by Ravagers. He eventually became known as Star-Lord, formed the Guardians of the Galaxy, and fought against Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame.
Pratt rose to fame playing Andy Dwyer in Parks and Recreation, before becoming a Hollywood leading man with roles in Jurassic World, Passengers, and The Tomorrow War. He also voiced Mario in The Super Mario Bros Movie.
Gamora: Zoe Saldana
Zoe Saldana plays Gamora, one of Thanos’ two daughters and a Guardian of the Galaxy. She was killed by her father in Infinity War in order to get the Soul Stone, but thanks to Endgame’s time-travel shenanigans, we’re going to reunite with a past version of her in Vol 3.
Gamora is the second-highest-grossing actress in the world, having appeared in several MCU movies as well as James Cameron’s Avatar franchise.
Drax the Destroyer: Dave Bautista
Dave Bautista plays Drax, a Kylosian warrior who joined the Guardians of the Galaxy after seeking revenge on Ronan the Accuser for murdering his family. The actor has been open about breaking away cleanly from Drax, so this will officially be the last time we’ll see him.
Bautista was first known as a wrestler in the WWE, but he’s since transformed into a tremendous actor, nabbing roles in Blade Runner 2049, Army of the Dead, Dune, Glass Onion, and Knock at the Cabin.
Groot: Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel provides the voice of Groot, a tree-like being (officially known as a Flora colossus) who traveled the galaxy with Rocket before they met the other Guardians. He’s been through the wringer, having sacrificed himself in the first movie before growing anew, and we’ve seen him as a baby, a teenager, and now a young adult.
Diesel is known for playing Dom Toretto in the Fast and Furious franchise, as well as the Chronicles of Riddick and xXx movies.
Rocket Raccoon: Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper provides the voice of Rocket, a raccoon who was genetically modified by the High Evolutionary at a young age. He became a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy and served as an Avenger during the blip, before reuniting with his team in Endgame.
Cooper is an Oscar-nominated actor known for his performances in A Star Is Born, The Hangover, American Sniper, and Limitless.
Nebula: Karen Gillan
Karen Gillan plays Nebula, Gamora’s sister who was tortured by Thanos as a child. Over the course of multiple movies, Nebula and Gamora’s relationship improved, and while framed as a hesitant hero, she eventually joined the Avengers and regrouped with the Guardians in Endgame.
Gillan is also known for playing Amy Pond in Doctor Who, as well as roles in Oculus, Gunpowder Milkshake, and the Jumanji reboot.
Mantis: Pom Klementieff
Pom Klementieff plays Mantis, a Celestial hybrid and empath who’s also Peter’s half-sister. She joined the Guardians after defeating Ego and fought against Thanos in Endgame. She also abducted Kevin Bacon with Drax in the holiday special.
Klementieff has also starred in the ‘Striking Vipers’ episode of Black Mirror, and she’ll appear in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1.
Ayesha: Elizabeth Debicki
Elizabeth Debicki plays Ayesha, the Golden High Priestess of the Sovereign, a genetically-engineered race of perfect beings. In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, we’ll see her attempt at revenge after the events of Vol 2.
Debicki is also known for her roles in Widows, Tenet, The Night Manager, and The Crown.
Adam Warlock: Will Poulter
Will Poulter plays Adam Warlock, a cosmic super-being created by the Sovereign to retaliate against the Guardians of the Galaxy. He debuted in an issue of Fantastic Four in 1967, but the movie appears to be making a number of changes to his character from the source material.
Poulter has also starred in We’re the Millers, The Maze Runner, Detroit, The Revenant, and Midsommar.
Kraglin Obfonteri: Sean Gunn
Sean Gunn plays Kraglin, a Ravager once part of Yondu’s crew before his death in Vol 2. He’s since become a member of the Guardians, serving under Peter while armed with Yondu’s famous arrow.
He’s James Gunn’s younger brother, and he also played Weasel in The Suicide Squad, a role he’ll reprise in DC’s Creature Commandos.
The High Evolutionary: Chukwudi Iwuji
Iwuji plays the High Evolutionary, a scientist and villain hellbent on evolving humanity into the perfect species. According to Gunn, he’s the “cruelest” villain in the MCU yet.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
Iwuji has also starred in John Wick: Chapter 2, The Split, Designated Survivor, and Peacemaker.
Cosmo the Spacedog: Maria Bakalova
Maria Bakalova plays Cosmo the Spacedog in the Guardians of the Galaxy cast, who made her debut in the holiday special. “Cosmo is based on Laika, a female Soviet space dog who died in orbit in 1957 – I’m just going back to the original source material,” Gunn tweeted.
Bakalova is best known for starring alongside Sacha Baron Cohen in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.
Stakar Ogord: Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone plays Stakar Ogord, a Ravager captain who led the original version of the Guardians of the Galaxy in the comics, where he’s also known as Starhawk.
Stallone is an iconic Oscar-nominated actor, known all across the world for playing Rambo, Rocky, and other characters.
Lylla the Otter: Linda Cardellini
Linda Cardellini plays Lylla, an otter who was also experimented on by the High Evolutionary, and spent her days in a cage with Rocket and their other furry pals. Find out more about her here.
Cardellini has starred in a wide range of movies and shows, including Freaks and Geeks, ER, Scooby-Doo, Gravity Falls, and Green Book. Notably, she also plays Hawkeye’s wife Laura in the MCU.
Teefs: Asim Chaudhry
Asum Chaudhry plays Teefs, a walrus who was experimented on by the High Evolutionary. He has wheels and the ability to speak, just like Rocket and Lyla, and was inspired by Wal Rus in the Marvel comics.
Chaudhry is a comedian and actor best known for his BBC mockumentary series People Just Do Nothing, while also appearing in the likes of Wonder Woman: 1984 and Black Mirror: Bandersnatch.
Floor: Mikaela Hoover
Mikaela Hoover plays Floor, a bunny with mechanical limbs and bulky apparatus covering her face. She’s also one of the High Evolutionary’s experiments, but she’s believed to be inspired by a much different character in the comics.
Hoover appeared in the first Guardians of the Galaxy as the Nova Prime’s assistant, as well as playing Camila in The Suicide Squad.
Master Karja: Nathan Fillion
Nathan Fillion plays Master Karja. “I wanted to take a break from playing an armed authority figure and go out into space and play an armed authority figure. I thought that that’d be better… only instead of a police officer uniform, I wear what looks like a keloid scar, like a big basket of bread,” he told Marvel.
Fillion worked with Gunn on Slither, as well as cameoing as Wonder Man in a deleted scene in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. He’s also known for starring in Firefly, Castle, The Rookie, and The Suicide Squad.
Kwol: Jennifer Holland
Jennifer Holland plays Kwol, an OrgoCorp administrator who alerts the facility’s security after learning the Guardians’ true identities. She ends up getting shot in the leg by Gamora.
Holland notably played Emilia Harcourt in The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker. She’s also Gunn’s wife.
Ura: Daniela Melchior
Daniela Melchior plays Ura, an OrgoCop staff member taken hostage by Gamora, Peter, and Nebula in order to access Rocket’s medical records.
Melchior made her DC debut as Ratcatcher 2 in The Suicide Squad, as well as providing the Portuguese dub for Spider-Gwen in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. She’ll also appear in Fast X.
Martinex: Michael Rosenbaum
Michael Rosenbaum plays Martinex in the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 cast. The character was first seen at the end of Vol 2, returning in the third as a Ravager in Stakar’s team alongside Gamora.
Rosenbaum is widely known for portraying Lex Luthor in Smallville. He’s also appeared in Urban Legend, Sorority Boys, and Breaking In.
War Pig: Judy Greer
Judy Greer voices War Pig, a cybernetically-enhanced porcine who guards the High Evolutionary’s ship.
Greer has a wide range of credits, having appeared in the MCU as Scott Lang’s ex-wife Maggie, the revived Halloween trilogy, Two and a Half Men, and much more.
Howard the Duck: Seth Green
Seth Green plays Howard the Duck in a short cameo, reprising the role after his post-credits debut in the first movie and short appearance in Vol 2.
Green earlier starred in Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed and Without a Paddle, as well as providing voice work for Family Guy as Chris Griffin and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as Leonardo.
Yondu: Michael Rooker
Michael Rooker makes a brief cameo as Yondu in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3. You can read more about that here.
Rooker is a notable collaborator with Gunn, having appeared in Slither, Super, The Suicide Squad, and every Guardians of the Galaxy movie. He’s also starred in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer and Cliffhanger.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 is in cinemas now. You can read our review here, while for more on the movie, head to our dedicated GOTG page, or check out the below articles…
Best Easter Eggs | Pete Davidson cameo | Who dies? | Counter-Earth explained | Number of post-credits scenes | Avengers: Infinity War reference | Phyla-Vell explained | Is Yondu in GOTG 3? | Chris Pratt wants to return | Lylla, Teef and Floor explained | Does Rocket die? | Doctor Moreau influence | Adam Warlock, hero or villain? | High Evolutionary explained | Soundtrack details | Description of post-credit scenes | All actors and characters | Runtime explained | Why Rocket is the MVP | Is it streaming? | What is Blurp? | Ending explained | GOTG movies ranked | Will there be a Vol 4?