David Bowie Would Have Been One of the Original Guardians of the Galaxy

James Gunn reveals what role he had intended for David Bowie to play in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. The film — which was the long-awaited sequel to Gunn’s first Guardians — and was one of the more intimate films that Marvel Studios has ever released. But just because the film’s main story was all focused on the relationships between each of the Guardians team members and their own estranged familial relatives, Gunn still managed to pack in more than a few cameos and Easter eggs along the way. That, in addition, to some of the most visually-stunning and zanier action sequences that any Marvel film has boasted to date.

Perhaps none of the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Easter eggs were quite as notable as the reveal that Sylvester Stallone was actually playing Starhawk, the leader of the original Guardians of the Galaxy team from the comics. And as the film’s ending and one of its many post-credits scenes revealed, Gunn even managed to introduce the rest of the original Guardians onscreen as well, much to the surprise and excitement of longtime comic book readers everywhere.

As it turns out, Gunn came very close to casting another pop-culture icon as one of the original Guardians. During a Facebook Live! Q&A this afternoon, the writer and director revealed that he had approached none other than David Bowie to play one of the team members, prior to the famous musician and actor’s death in January 2016. Gunn did not, however, reveal which of the characters he had intended for Bowie to play.

Gunn previously revealed that he and Kevin Feige had approached David Bowie about a cameo role in Guardians 2, before Bowie passed away, but at that time did not reveal how or who he would have played had he actually been in the film. But for what it’s worth, Bowie still managed to have a small presence in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, with his song, “Moonage Daydream,” being featured on the soundtrack of the first Guardians film.

Without Bowie, the lineup of original Guardians wound up being played by Michael Rosenbaum (Martinex), Michelle Yeoh (Aleta), Ving Rhames (Charlie-27), Stallone (Starhawk), Mainframe (Miley Cyrus), and Krugarr. And while fans only got to spend some very brief time with that team in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, there is still the possibility of the original Guardians returning again sometime in the future, according to Gunn himself. Whether or not any of that actually comes to fruition, though, remains to be seen.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is now available in multiple home release formats.