5 'Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol.3' Cast Members Who Have Played Other Roles In The MCU

WARNING: SPOILERS for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3

In recent years, it has not been an entirely uncommon occurrence for actors who have played a minor character in one film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to return as a more important character in another MCU project.

Newly minted Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh had a cameo as Ravager Captain Aleta Ogord In Guardians of The Galaxy Vol.2, before taking the more prominent role of Ying Nan, a guardian of Ta Lo and aunt to the titular hero, in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Gemma Chan played minor antagonist Minn-Erva in Captain Marvel, a few years before being cast as Sersi, the leading character in Eternals. Ross Marquand, becoming known for his talent at impressions, has performed voicework for a number of characters since taking over the role of villain turned Soul Stone keeper Red Skull in Avengers: Infinity War.

However, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 takes this to a whole new level. Not just one, but five members of the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 cast have previously played different characters in other MCU projects. The main reason for this rise in actors pulling double duty is Director James Gunn's penchant for casting actors whom he has worked with before. The reason it works is that these actors have mostly taken on voice over roles in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 rather than face characters.

Here are the five Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 cast members who have also played other roles in the MCU.

1. Linda Cardellini

Linda Cardellini made her MCU debut in 2015, playing the role of Laura Barton, the wife of Clint Barton/Hawkeye in Avengers: Age of Ultron. She reprised the role briefly in Avengers: Endgame, revealed as a victim of the Blip, before appearing as a guest at Tony Stark's memorial.

Laura returned for a more prominent recurring role in Disney Plus's Hawkeye series, mostly appearing when Clint calls to check in at home during his adventures. Laura has been embraced by fans by defying the usual trope of the worried Wife, instead fully embracing Clint's heroics. Hawkeye's finale offers an explanation for this, hinting that she may have been the comic character Mockingbird before retiring to raise her children.

Cardellini has previously worked with Director James Gunn on the two live-action Scooby Doo films, playing Velma while he worked as a Writer and Producer. In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3, the actress voices Lylla the Otter, the childhood friend of Rocket Raccoon.

2. Sean Gunn

Sean Gunn, the younger brother of Director James Gunn, spent much of his childhood as his brother's dress up toy. The game continued into their adult lives, with Sean appearing in many of his older sibling's projects. Sean has played the role of Ravager Kraglin Obfonteri in all three Guardians of the Galaxy films, along with a blink-and-you'll miss it cameo in Avengers: Endgame.

Kraglin's role has expanded over the course of the three Guardians films, growing from a Yes-Man to Yondu in the first film to a full blown Guardian himself by the end of Vol.3. Sean Gunn also performs the motion capture work for Rocket Raccoon, and acts as the on-set stand in for Rocket in all projects in which the character appears.

In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3, as well as reprising his roles of Kraglin and the Rocket stand-in, Sean also voices the adorable younger Rocket Raccoon in a few of the film's flashbacks.

3. Tara Strong

While not everyone will immediately recognise her face, for many, Tara Strong is one of the voices of their childhood. Strong is the voice behind such beloved characters as Dil Pickles from Rugrats, Timmy Turner in Fairly-Odd Parents, youngest Powerpuff Girl Bubbles, and in more recent years, My Little Pony's Twilight Sparkle, among many, many more.

Strong's voice work has earned her hordes of devoted fans, who were of course delighted to discover that she was to enter the MCU. Strong voices Miss Minutes, the cheerful animated mascot of the TVA, in Disney Plus's Loki series. She is expected to reprise the role in the series' upcoming second season.

Strong has worked with Gunn before, voicing the player character Juliet Starling, in Lollipop Chainshaw, a video game Gunn jointly produced with Kadokawa Games. In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3, Strong takes over as the voice of Mainframe, a sentient robot head among Stakar's Ravagers. Miley Cyrus originated the role in a cameo in Vol.2.

4. Judy Greer

For much of her career, Judy Greer has been one of 'those' actresses. More often than not a supporting player, one who's face you might recognise, but not necessarily her name. Greer herself is very aware of this, even writing a book on the subject titled I Don't Know What You Know Me From.

In 2015, Greer played the role of Maggie, Scott Lang's Ex-Wife and Cassie Lang's Mother, in Marvel's first Ant-Man film, and reprised the role in it's sequel, Ant-Man and The Wasp. Maggie is absent from the recent third film, Quantumania, but is expected to reappear in the future as Cassie takes a more active role in the MCU.

Greer, who has appeared in a few earlier Gunn projects, voices War-Pig, one of the High Evolutionary's unfortunate Hellspawn, in Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol.3.

5. Mikaela Hoover

Mikaela Hoover, like many of the others on this list, has been a regular collaborator of Director James Gunn. She appeared in his earlier films Super, The Belko Experiment, and his first DC project, The Suicide Squad. Her first MCU role was a minor one, cameoing as Nova Prime's assistant in the first Guardians of the Galaxy.

Hoover returns to break hearts with a new role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The actress performs the voice and Motion Capture for Floor, an innocent, playful, and ultimately doomed cybernetic rabbit who befriends the young Rocket.

With the cosmic side of the MCU set to introduce more CGI characters, it will be interesting to see whether we will see voice cameos from existing MCU cast members in the future.