There’s a hot rumor making the rounds that the MCU’s Guardians of the Galaxy cast will change course for the all-new DCU.

It all stems from a recent interview with Empire in which DC Studios co-chair James Gunn made a tantalizing comment. “This cast are like my family,” he said. “I cannot tell you how close I am to Chris Pratt and Pom [Klementieff] and Dave [Bautista] and Zoe [Saldaña] and Karen [Gillan], but I also know I will work again with all those people individually again. [...] Probably at my other job.” Of course, that “other job” is none other than DC Studios.

Certainly, Gunn’s comment is intriguing, and it leads to plenty of fan theories and speculation. Truth be known, it’s playing the guessing game that is the most fun when it comes to shared universes with infinite plot threads. Gunn knows this all too well, and he's doing a great job of keeping us all on our toes. For that, I salute him for giving me plenty of blog topics.

Judging by the GOTG cast’s apparent farewell, they may already have had initial conversations. 

We know that Dave Bautista and likely Bradley Cooper are taking their final bow after GOTG 3. Vin Diesel, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, and Pom Klementieff are all unknowns at this point. The indication from Gunn and Marvel chief Kevin Feige is that the GOTG brand will live on with another crew taking up the mantle. This could include Peter Quill, Gamora, Mantis, and Groot along with an assortment of new members. However, most fans seem to think it’s the last ride for those characters as well. Thus, we have the foundation for the DCU speculation.

Of course, the fan castings have commenced, beginning with Pratt. When Gunn first introduced the world to his version of Star-Lord, it was a much different take on the classic character. With his cocky attitude, womanizing, and bouts of immaturity, he seemed to be a take on DC’s Green Lantern. That is leading to theories on Reddit that Pratt will take over as the new Hal Jordan for Gunn’s vision of the DCU. 

Although the actor has his share of detractors, he would fit the mold as Hal. Let’s face it—he basically plays the same roles as Ryan Reynolds, so having Pratt take over as Green Lantern is rather fitting. However, there’s a more interesting—though harder to imagine—role that Reddit tossed Pratt’s way: Deathstroke.

Gunn has mentioned on social media that he has plans for Slade Wilson. What those may be, who knows? We’ve been promised a big screen version of Deathstroke since Joe Manganiello sported an awesome costume for the 2017 Justice League theatrical edition. Under the Gunn era, a Slade feature film would be a sight to behold.

It’s tough to picture Pratt as the eyepatch-wearing master assassin, but there are plenty of worse casting choices. At least it’s not Jesse Eisenberg, right? Actually, this would be a great spot for Keanu Reeves, whose name surfaces anytime there’s a superhero rumor, so let me get that ball rolling. 

*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.