Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a heartfelt, funny, and wild adventure with our beloved ragtag MCU team. The film not only explores Rocket’s tragic backstory but also gives us a ton of fun cameos from returning characters to people that we did not expect to see again. While we totally dig seeing some familiar faces like Seth Green’s Howard the Duck, there is one person who made us feel all the feelings. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 includes a very short but sweet cameo from none other than Michael Rooker, who portrayed Yondu.
As we know, Yondu sacrificed himself to save his adoptive son Quill in Vol. 2. We previously saw Yondu in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special but it was in an animated flashback. Yondu Udonta makes an appearance towards the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 to give Kraglin some needed encouragement. Throughout the time, Kraglin continued to struggle with learning how to use Yondu’s Yaka Arrow, which led to him being ineffective when Adam Warlock literally came crashing into Knowhere.
At the end of the film, Kraglin once again faces a big threat as the High Evolutionary sends some sinister beings to overtake Knowhere. Kraglin gets the arrow and hesitates before hearing Yondu’s voice encouraging him in his head to trust himself. He looks up and briefly sees Yondu appear in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. His former leader gives him a knowing smile before Kraglin gives it another try. He whistles and navigates the Yaka Arrow with newfound expertise, saving a ton of lives in the process.
Seeing Yondu in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is such a treat for fans and made for an effective cameo that felt organic. Will we get another Yondu appearance in our MCU future? Maybe so. This isn’t the end of the line for Star-Lord, who will apparently return for some project. And maybe he will need to see the image of his true father once again.
Originally published May 5, 2023.
