While “Sly” Stallone may be famous for shooting hundreds of bad guys as machine-gun-toting Rambo, Marvel fans are stoked for his return as Starhawk in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
In the comics, Starhawk is an Arcturan infused with the powers of the Hawk God. He hails from an alternate reality called Earth-691, which saw aliens crush humanity in the War of the Worlds. Earth was occupied as the superheroes Quasar and Kismet had a son. Soon after the birth, the infant was kidnapped and transported to the planet Arcturus IV. An Arcturan mutant couple cared for him, until they were slain by the Reavers of Arcturus, a violent band of warriors committed to exterminating every mutant of their race. One of these Reavers was called Ogord. He took pity on the infant and adopted him, giving him the name Stakar.
The young Stakar quickly developed a terrifying array of powers, including the ability to bend light, superhuman strength, immunity to radiation, and virtual immortality.
But Stallone’s character has yet to showcase these incredible abilities. He is a master thief who set up a team of elite space pirates called the Ravagers. The group included his wife Aleta, as well as Martinex, Charlie-27, Krugarr, Mainframe, and Yondu Odonta. Between them, they had many adventures, engaging in heists and robberies across the galaxy. After Yondu was exiled, the team disbanded, but the end credits scene of Vol. 2 had the team reunite.
Despite having a small role in Vol. 2, Stallone will likely feature much more prominently in this latest outing, perhaps developing his character’s incredible powers. If he does so, then at age 76, Stallone will be one of the oldest actors to play a superhero in the MCU.
Fans can see Stallone back in action when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 releases on May. 5.