The long-awaited Guardians of the Galaxy movie premieres this weekend, and I’m chomping at the bit to get to the theater. Why isn’t it Friday yet?! All of the trailers have been amazing. The early reviews are outstanding. There is every indication that this movie is going to be great!

It’s gonna be so good!

But it’s not Friday yet, and that means we have to occupy our time and our minds to keep from going mad with anticipation. So how about a new List of Six? I definitely wanted to go Guardians-themed this week, so I decided of celebrating the very comics that gave birth to the new movie! Marvel Comics have always published awesome outer space comics, with cosmic heroes, interstellar villains, sentient planets and more. There will be a ton of these characters introduced to audiences in this new movie, but we comic fans know that there are tons more space-farring heroes who won’t yet get their chance to shine.

So join me after the jump as I present 6 more wild and awesome space characters who would be perfect for that Guardians of the Galaxy sequel in 2017!

6. Bug

Names are difficult

Bug is an insectoid comedic relief, half-warrior/half-jester bug man. Take one look at him and that’s all you need to know about him. He’s as funny as he looks and is just as entertaining. Bug started off as a character from the Microverse (the less said the better), but he showed up in outer space and joined the Guardians of the Galaxy in the comics. He’s got a crazy alien look, a wry sense of humor and is just zany enough to throw his lot in with the Guardians of the Galaxy. He’s also my personal favorite Guardian, so he’s got that going for him.

5. Ego

Beards are still hot, right?

Ego is a giant, sentient planet with a beard. A freakin’ beard! How cool is that? He’s also usually a bad guy. That’s what happens when you name yourself ‘Ego’. And he talks. Step aside talking raccoon and talking tree, we’ve got here a talking planet! But being a bad guy (and a planet), Ego probably isn’t about to actually join the Guardians of the Galaxy. But they’ll need cool, new places to visit in the sequel, right? And to have wacky adventures on? If you thought the Millennium Falcon escaping that crater worm in Empire was cool, how about escaping the beard-lined mouth of a giant, sentient planet?

4. Beta Ray Bill

If they made Thor popular…

Hear me out. The more I think about it, the more I absolutely want Beta Ray Bill to show up in the Marvel Movieverse. Captain America’s got the Falcon. Iron Man’s got War Machine. Thor needs a buddy too! In the comics, Beta Ray Bill is the first being in the universe worthy enough to lift Thor’s hammer (who isn’t already named Thor). He’s a half-cyborg alien warrior who took on the task of transforming his body into a weapon so that he could safeguard his people, the Korbonites, as they fled their dying planet.

But because he’s one ugly alien, Thor thought he was a bad guy when they first met. The two got into a scuffle, during which Beta Ray Bill picked up Mjolnir in order to pound Thor’s blonde head into the pavement. But as the inscription goes: “Whoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor”. So Beta Ray Bill got the powers of Thor, and the two of them eventually worked things out and became bros. It’s a great story. But it’s a heck of a lot of story to try and squeeze into Thor 3.

He gets right in Galactus’ face!

So how about we introduce Bill in Guardians 2? He could be his normal, Bill self, ferrying the Korbonite people across the cosmos, and he hangs out with the Guardians for awhile. Then he shows up again in Thor 3 or Avengers 3 and picks up Thor’s hammer, becoming Beta Ray Bill! It would be some awesome cross-movie planning, but I say they can do it!

I just…I just really want Beta Ray Bill to happen. The world needs to know he exists. If Lady Thor can make national news, then Horse Thor would blow minds.

3. Moondragon

She’s a big fan of ‘space clothing’

The Cosmic Marvel Universe has no shortage of awesome women. The new movie will feature Gamora and Nebula, so how about Moondragon? She’s a bald, sexy, martial arts master who, in the comics, is also the daughter of Drax. To go into any other part of her history would be pretty insane. Moondragon is one of those comic book characters who is used willy nilly in any adventure a writer wants. She’s been on Avenger and a member of the Infinity Watch. She’s done this and that. Is bisexual. And I think she’s died several times. But at the basic level, she’s a badass, bisexual, bald babe with mind powers. Sounds like hero material to me!

2. Quasar

Gritty reboot Quasar

Forgive me for saying this, comic book fans, but Quasar is a huge dork. At least if we judge him based on his silly 90s costume. But then everybody wore a silly costume in the 90s. It was the 90s. Sigh. Anyway, Quasar is Wendell Vaughn, a regular Earth Joe who wound up wearing a pair of Quantum Bands, which were intended for the Protector of the Universe. Being a pretty standup guy, Wendell accepted the job, and went on to star in a pretty lackluster comic through most of the 90s. I didn’t read it, but any superhero who sported a mullet in the 90s is just assumed to be lame. Quasar eventually made some modern day comebacks, but they haven’t stuck. Still, if Peter Quill needs a new friend from Earth in the sequel, Marvel could do worse than Quasar, Protector of the Universe!

1. Nova

John C. Reilly?

Marvel could also do better! Unfortunately, as much as I would love to see the comic book Nova in these movies, things are a little complicated on that front. We’re going to meet the Nova Corps in the new movie, a squadron of space cops who protect and serve the galaxy. In the comics, the Nova Corps are made up of a bunch of cool aliens. But in the new movie, they’re played by the likes of Glenn Close and John C. Reilly, so they’re all going to look human. It would kind of defeat the purpose, then, to put Rich Ryder, the Nova from Earth, into one of these movies, because would no longer be a unique, human snowflake. Still, Rich Ryder is awesome.

Buuuuut he’s also dead. At least in the comics. And after Marvel killed him off, they created a new Nova: a kid named Sam Alexander. Sam is the star of the current Nova comic book, he’s appeared in several big crossovers, and he is also Nova in the cartoon show Ultimate Spider-Man.

Kids love him!

So even though Rich Ryder is pretty damn awesome, it’s a long shot to expect to see him in any future Marvel movies. What’s the point of a Nova from Earth if all of your Nova Corps members already look like humans? And why would Marvel cast another white, brown-haired, charming male actor when they could make a kid superhero?

Still, a man can dream. A man can dream.

–——————–

Who would you want to see in a future Guardians of the Galaxy sequel? I’ve heard tell that Guardians has the most character cameos of any Marvel movie so far, so there is plenty of room to squeeze in more and more cosmic characters. Who are your favorites? Who would you most like to see show up? Let me know in the comments!

———————