Following a brief post-credit scene at the end ofGuardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2in which pop star and actorMiley Cyrusappeared asRavager team memberMainframe, fans could’ve expected this was a tease to a larger role for the singer in the series going forward - as is typicalMCUfashion. However, with the release of that film’s sequelGuardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3upon us, it’s bad news for Miley Cyrus fans as the character ofMainframe has been recast, now played byLokistarTara Strong.
With Miley Cyrus seeing great success in the musical side of her career this year, it may be easy to forget the star came to international attention acting inDisney Channel’s hit seriesHannah Montana. Cyrus' most recent venture into acting however was during season 5 of Netflix’sBlack Mirror, in which she starred as fictional pop-star Ashley O.
Despite Cyrus' departure, the role of Mainframe is in good hands, with replacement Tara Strong being no stranger to the world of voice acting. Strong starred in popular children’s showThe Fairly OddParentsas Timmy Turner, as well as appearing in another Marvel outing: 2021’sLokias Miss Minutes. The recasting marks a rare case of a post-credit tease not quite materializing as promised, as the studio spearheaded the trend of setting up a franchise’s future installments following the film’s conclusion, withMarvelhavinga fairly clean track recordof following these teases up. The trope began with the MCU’s inception all the way back at the conclusion of 2008’sIron Man.
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Why Was Cyrus' Role Recast?
At this point it’s unclear what the reasoning for the recasting is, particularly seeing as the film’s directorJames Gunnwas particularly complimentary of the star when speaking toBuzzfeed News. In that interview, Gunn said “I was admiring the tone of Miley Cyrus’s voice. I find her funny and likable and sweet… So I was like, I think she would be a funny person to have as a voice [inGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2]. So we contacted her, and she said yes. She came in and recorded, and she was a delight to work with.” The feeling appeared to have been mutual, with Cyrusinteracting with Gunn on Twitteras recently as 2021, writing “I miss you guys so much,” alongside a robot emoji in reference to her MCU character. However, following the recent success of her latest albumEndless Summer Vacationand smash-hit “Flowers”, it’d be safe to assume that the singer’s attention currently lays elsewhere.
A Miley Cyrus-lessGuardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3hits theaters on May 5. You can watch the trailer below:
