A good cast of supporting characters can help set your story apart from the rest, and no one knows this better than James Gunn. His films, especially his Marvel Cinematic Universe efforts, always offer a range of scene-stealers on the sidelines, from Sylvester Stallone’s Stakar Ogord to John C. Reilly’s Rhomann Dey. They might not play a big role in the narrative, but their presence still resonates with audiences.
While we were lucky enough to see Stakar again in the latest Guardians of the Galaxy film, we haven’t heard from Rhomann since Vol. 1, which has led fans to wonder about his whereabouts. Dey was a member of the Nova Corps in the first film of the series, eventually getting a promotion following the battle of Xandar thanks to his instinct to trust Peter Quill and the Guardians against the Kree.
Fans will recall that Dey pardoned Quill and his team from their transgressions on the planet Xandar since it was their intel that ultimately helped stop the Kree and consequently save Dey’s family. In the film, the Xandarian had a Krylorian wife, Karman-Kan, and daughter, Duranna, who were almost bombed by a necrocrafts before Rocket destroyed it.
The small subplot was enough to generate connection with audiences, but sadly Dey was never heard from again. The reason is likely the fact that Xandar and the Nova Corps were destroyed by Thanos in his quest for the Orb/Power Stone. In Infinity War, it’s Thor who breaks the news, saying that the purple titan “decimated” the planet. Unfortunately, that probably means Dey and his family didn’t make it.
As usually happens in the MCU, events from films outside of a specific series’ control end up affecting the value of certain elements within it. That is, Dey and the Nova Corps’ death off-screen now rids his storyline in Vol. 1 of any real meaning.
As a member of the Nova Corps, it’s likely Dey was a casualty of Thanos’ attack. However, there’s a real chance his wife and daughter made it. Even if half of the planet’s population was eventually turned to dust, thanks to the Avengers, they were brought back five years later.
It will be a while before we know the canon fate of Rey and his family (if we ever do). A likely scenario where that might come to pass is in the Nova project that is reportedly in the works at Marvel Studios, which will center Richard Rider, an important member of the Nova Corps.
Until then, we’ll hold on to that sweet scene in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1. All three films from the saga are available to stream on Disney Plus.