After being at the center of speculation for months, Daniela Melchior has been confirmed to have joined the cast of Marvel Studios Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Melchior’s social media activity had fans convinced she would be a part of the expanded cast for the threequel, with many speculating that she would be playing Moondragon, who is canonically the daughter of Drax in Marvel Comics. And while director James Gunn ruled out the idea of her playing Moondragon, he never outright denied Melchior would have a role in the film.
With her casting now confirmed by a Hollywood trade report, speculation will begin anew about who Melchior, who first worked with Gunn on the DC Comics film, The Suicide Squad, might be playing. While there is no guarantee she’s playing a member of the Guardians, rumors have persisted that this film will see a new group of heroes take over for the current team. Should those rumors turn out to be true, Melchior could be playing the MCU’s version of Phyla-Vell (a character who I have heard is due to appear in the MCU), a one-time member of the Guardians and a character with connections to several characters in the larger MCU.
In the comics, Phyla is the daughter of the Kree hero Mar-Vell. The character played a large role in the Annihilation and Annihilation: Conquest events and, eventually, wore the Quantum Bands and took on the mantle of Quasar. Speculation has already begun that the bracelet worn by Kamala Khan in Ms. Marvel might be one half of the pair of Quantum Bands, and it’s been revealed by Marvel Studios that the changes to Khan’s powers were made to make her inclusion in the upcoming feature film The Marvels make a bit more sense. The inclusion of Phyla-Vell in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 could put her on the board as someone who might eventually try to lay claim to the bands. All speculation, of course, but sensible.
Melchior joins Chukwudi Iwuji as actors to have worked with Gunn on a DC Comics’ adaptation and make the jump to the MCU. Iwuji, who starred in the HBO Max streaming series Peacemaker, looks to be playing the High Evolutionary, the main antagonist of Vol. 3.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will hit theaters on May 5, 2023.
Source: Deadline
