James Gunn Says No CAPTAIN MARVEL Or VENOM Symbiotes In GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 2
Joining the ranks of characters not appearing in the film according to director and screenwriter James Gunn are Captain Marvel and Venom. On Captain Marvel, Gunn specifically stated, "Getting this [question] a lot this morning. As I said months ago, no, [Captain Marvel] sorry." As for the symbiote and by proxy, Venom, Gunn was a little more evasive but still seemed to rule them out. "There are no rumors. Just guesses, which are fun. Only 6 of us know who's in GotG2."
Other character ruled out by Gunn for GotG2 are Gladiator of the Shi'ar Empire, Ronan the Accuser, Bug, Rom: Spaceknight, and Nova aka Richard Rider. Previously, Gunn has teased that Guardians of the Galaxy 2 will introduce his favorite Marvel Comics character, which has lead to a ton of speculation from fans. Gunn further teased that his favorite character may not necessarily be male, which is what led some to speculate that it would Captain Marvel aka Carol Danvers. It should be noted that during junket interviews before the release of Guardians of the Galaxy, Gunn stated that his favorite Marvel characters are Starhawk and Annihilus. With Annihilus' character rights owned by Fox as part of their Fantastic Four package, it stands to reason that the new character will be Starhawk.