Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Imperial #1
Marvel Comics has introduced a newStar-Lordcostume just in time for Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill to wear it in his next MCU appearance. James Gunn’sGuardians of the Galaxytrilogy came to an end in 2023 withGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which saw the titular team part ways after defeating the High Evolutionary. Rocket Raccoon, Groot, and Star-Lord continued their journey as superheroes, while Gamora departed with the Ravagers, and Drax, Nebula, Mantis, and Cosmo apparently retired from their cosmic crime-fighting duties and stayed in Knowhere.
Jonathan Hickman’sImperial #1opens a new chapter in the cosmic side of the Marvel universe with the assassination of several important figures, seemingly orchestrated bythe Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda. Hulk’s son Hiro-Kala, Star-Lord’s sister Empress Victoria, and Star-Lord’s father J’Son have apparently been targeted by Wakanda, and every major regime now speculates the motives behind the attacks. Hulk and his close allies She-Hulk and Brawn investigate on their own. Meanwhile, Peter Quill and Richard Rider set out to find the truth and seek revenge for the death of Star-Lord’s father.
Star-Lord Receives A Brand-New Superhero Costume In Marvel’s Imperial
Imperial #2; Written by Jonathan Hickman; Art By Iban Coello & Federico Vicentini; Colors By Federico Blee; Cover by Marco Chechetto
Peter Quill and Richard Rider hesitate to get involved in the ongoing investigations into Empress Victoria’s poisoning, but once J’son is assassinated, both heroes immediately return to action. Richard Rider finally wears his Nova helmet and armor again (and sports an unkempt beard), whileStar-Lord takes his late father’s ringand accepts the role of leader of the Spartoi.InImperial #2, Peter Quill is ready for battle wearing a brand-new Star-Lord suit and helmet. Nova and Star-Lord’s costumes have different origins, but they share a few elements that make them look like a formal cosmic duo.
It’s clear thatPeter Quill’s new suit is heavily inspired by his first-ever Star-Lord costume. Introduced in 1976’sMarvel Preview #, Star-Lord’s first suit was a dark blue jumpsuit with a white, H-shaped design on the chest, plus a set of golden boots, gloves, and belt. Star-Lord’s first helmet was inspired by vintage aerodynamic flight gear, with large goggles and Star-Lord’s large gold insignia stamped in the middle.Imperial’s redesign of Star-Lord’s original costume features a brighter blue, plus a jacket, golden shoulder pads, and several subtle improvements that help it look like the outfit a modern-day space cowboy would wear in the Marvel universe.
Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord Needs A New Superhero Costume In The MCU
The Legendary Star-Lord Will Likely Return With A Brand-New Costume Not Tied To The Guardians Of The Galaxy
After the Guardians parted ways, Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill went to Earth to reunite with his grandfather and stay with him in Missouri.The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’s post-credits scene ends with the message,“The Legendary Star-Lord Will Return,” suggesting that Quill will either join a new superhero team or continue his journey as an independent hero. Given that Rocket Raccoon became the Guardians of the Galaxy’s leader and created his own version of the team,Star-Lord will probably need to find a new costume that marks the beginning of his"Legendary Star-Lord"arc.
A live-action adaptation of Star-Lord’sImperialcostume wouldn’t need many significant changes to work perfectly in the MCU
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’s post-credits scene may offer Star-Lord the chance to wear a variant of his most iconic comic book costume, consisting of a blue-and-white version of hisVol. 3uniform, a bigger and more intricate version of his full-face mask, and a full-head helmet with the flame insignia on the forehead. However, Marvel Studios could take a page fromImperialand honorPeter Quill’s comic book originswith a modern reinvention of his 1976 suit. A live-action adaptation of Star-Lord’sImperialcostume wouldn’t need many significant changes to work perfectly in the MCU.
Star-Lord’s Next MCU Adventures Might Be Inspired By Marvel’s Imperial
Peter Quill’s Imperial Dynamics Suit His MCU Counterpart’s Current Status
AfterPeter Quill’s time as Master of the Sunand a reunion with the Guardians of the Galaxy, Star-Lord finds himself fighting a battle of his own inImperial. Marvel Studios has already explored Peter Quill’s relationship with his father — revealed to be Ego the Living Planet instead of J’son in the MCU — and Richard Rider has yet to make his MCU debut. However,the MCU’s cosmic stories have come to a halt afterGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,meaning that the next saga can start a new overarching arc from scratch drawing inspiration from Marvel’sImperial.
It would take some time, but all the elements needed for a live-actionImperialevent may be available for Marvel Studios
Phase 7 could bring back Bruce Banner’s savage Hulk and send him back to Sakaar, where Hulk, Skaar, and She-Hulk could investigate a murder. Richard Rider could travel to Earth and recruit Peter Quill to help out in a similar mission, helping Quill find a new purpose away from the Guardians of the Galaxy and earn the title of"Legendary Star-Lord.“Characters like J’son, Kl’rt, T’Challa, and Ronan are much less likely to appear, but others like Gladiator and Deathbird could become important cosmic MCU figures as well. It would take some time, but all the elements needed for a live-actionImperialevent may be available for Marvel Studios.
Even if Marvel Studios doesn’t adaptImperialdirectly, the MCU could still continue Chris Pratt’s journey as Star-Lord with the introduction of Richard Rider. Instead of the leader of a team, Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord could be half of a cosmic duo. After all, the introduction and subsequent off-screen destruction of Xandar is closely tied to the Guardians of the Galaxy in the MCU, as the Guardians failed to stop Thanos before the Mad Titan obliterated the Nova Corps' base planet.
Avengers: Secret Wars Is The Perfect Place To Introduce Star-Lord’s New Costume
Peter Quill’s New Adventures As The Legendary Star-Lord Could Begin In Secret Wars
Chris Pratt wasn’t included inAvengers: Doomsday’s first official cast announcement. SinceAvengers: Doomsdayis already filled to the brim with characters, it’s possible that Marvel Studios is keeping many famous faces on hold for a bigger crossover inAvengers: Secret Wars.One of the returning heroes who could join the Avengers, the New Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men in their final battle against Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom could be Star-Lord, who could reappear wearing a brand-new costume inspired by hisImperialappearance.Phase 6’s multiversal conflict could hint at the Legendary Star-Lord’s new cosmic duties.
In just under two minutes,Thunderbolts*' post-credits scene introduced a new set of costumes for all the New Avengers.Bucky Barnes' Revolution-inspired looksuggests that Marvel Studios is utilizing very recent material from the comics for its current projects, as Bucky debuted this look in late 2022. By the timeAvengers: Secret Warsrolls around,anImperial-inspiredStar-Lordcould be one of the characters donning some of their recent comic book costumes on the big screen.
