If you want to know who is in the Guardians of the Galaxy cast, we’ve got you covered. They may be a bunch of a-holes, but we love them all the same, and we’re here to get to know the actors behind the characters a little better.
The rise of the MCU gave lesser-known comic book characters the chance to shine on the big screen, and the Guardians of the Galaxy were the main benefactors of this. From the very first Marvel movie starring this band of MCU character misfits, we’ve been obsessed with the adventures of the Guardians.
The superhero movie world is a far richer place thanks to the Guardians of the Galaxy cast, so, with the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 release date coming up, it’s time to get acquainted with the actors involved.
The Guardians of the Galaxy cast:
- Chris Pratt as Peter Quill AKA Star-Lord
- Zoë Saldaña as Gamora
- Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer
- Vin Diesel as Groot
- Bradley Cooper as Rocket
- Karen Gillan as Nebula
- Pom Klementieff as Mantis
- Michael Rooker as Yondu
Chris Pratt – Peter Quill AKA Star-Lord
Peter Quill may have been plucked from Earth at a young age, but Chris Pratt is firmly on this planet and keeps himself busy with a cavalcade of fun flicks. However, his career well and truly took off on the small screen, appearing as Andy Dwyer in the comedy series Parks and Rec.
On the big screen, Pratt has appeared in the sports movie Moneyball, he leads the Jurassic World franchise as Owen Grady, and also puts his voice to good use in various animated movies like The Lego Movie and Onward.
You will next be able to hear Pratt when the Super Mario Bros movie release date arrives, and he will of course return as Star-Lord for the third MCU movie in the Guardians series. Until then, check out our list of the best Chris Pratt movies for more from the star.
Zoë Saldaña – Gamora
Chances are, you’ve seen Zoë Saldaña in something outside of the Guardians of the Galaxy. How do we know that? Well, she’s actually been in four of the top ten highest-grossing movies of all time. Not only does she pop up in Avengers Infinity War and Endgame alongside Marvel villain Thanos, but she is also one of the stars of the Avatar movies.
Saldaña plays Neytiri in the Avatar 2 cast, reprising her role from the original 2000s movie. If that wasn’t enough, she’s also one of the leads in the rebooted Star Trek movies, and just like Pratt, has lent her vocal talents to various animated kids movies, like The Book of Life, Missing Link, and Vivo. If you still want more, here’s our list of the best Zoë Saldaña movies.
Dave Bautista – Drax the Destroyer
Bautista started his career as a wrestler, but just like Dwayne Johnson, has gone on to forge a very strong career in the movies. Within the Guardians team, Bautista brings the comedy movie element as the overly-literal, very enthusiastic Drax the Destroyer, but away from Marvel he’s a pretty serious actor.
He had the privilege of playing a James Bond villain in Spectre, popped up for a small but significant scene in Blade Runner 2049, and is also a key figure in the Dune franchise. More recently, Bautista was in the Netflix movie Glass Onion, and his new movie saw him play the movie villain in the M Night Shyamalan movie Knock at the Cabin. You can read our Knock at the Cabin review here to see how he fared.
Vin Diesel – Groot
Believe it or not, the voice behind those grunts of “I am Groot” is all Vin Diesel, the king of the Fast and Furious franchise. He even has his own version of the scripts for the Guardians movies, so that he can add the right intonations to his utterances of those famous three words.
Away from being a walking tree, Diesel is the leader of the Fast and Furious cast, where he plays the Fast and Furious character Dom Toretto. He’s also starred in various action movies like xXx, Bloodshot, and Riddick, but he had a fun role in the family movie The Pacifier, too. See him next when the Fast and Furious 10 release date comes around.
Bradley Cooper – Rocket
Another one now where you have to listen very closely to the voice to work out who’s playing the character, and this time it’s none other than Bradley Cooper who plays the loveable rogue Rocket.
Cooper has performed to a very high standard in drama movies like Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, and Joy, funnily enough all alongside Jennifer Lawrence. More recently, Cooper appeared in the Paul Thomas Anderson movie Licorice Pizza, and the Guillermo del Toro movie Nightmare Alley.
The actor has also turned his hand to directing, stepping behind the camera for the brilliant musical A Star is Born. And if that wasn’t enough, Cooper was Oscar-nominated for his role in the Clint Eastwood movie American Sniper.
Karen Gillan – Nebula
Nebula may have begun life in the MCU as a bad guy, but actor Karen Gillan has taken on plenty of likeable roles in her career. She actually started out as a companion on Doctor Who, assisting House of the Dragon cast member Matt Smith during his run in the TARDIS.
Since then, Gillan’s biggest role is in the Jumanji franchise, where she plays Martha in the adventure movies. More recently, she has appeared in the thriller movie Gunpowder Milkshake, and the 2022 movie The Bubble.
Pom Klementieff – Mantis
Mantis joined up with the Guardians in their second adventure and has become a mainstay of the team now. Actor Pom Klementieff is a relative newcomer to the big times, too, but has some fairly substantial roles to her name already.
She appeared in the American remake of the Korean movie Oldboy, but the less said about that Spike Lee movie, the better. Since then, she’s had roles in Ingrid Goes West, the Safdie Brothers’ Uncut Gems, and the TV series Black Mirror.
Michael Rooker – Yondu
Ah Yondu, the Mary Poppins of the Marvel world, how we miss you! The blue-faced, grumpy leader of the Ravagers is played by Michael Rooker, who’s popped up in some of the best movies of all time, without you even realising.
Rooker started out in the ‘80s movies Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer and Mississippi Burning, he appeared in the Tom Cruise movie Days of Thunder, and the movie based on a true story, JFK. More recently, Rooker popped up in the DC movie The Suicide Squad for his old pal James Gunn.
That’s all the Guardians of the Galaxy cast now. If you want more Marvel info, check out our Ant-Man cast guide, Iron Man cast guide, or the Thor cast guide.
