Who Will Be the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 2′ Villain?

'Guardians of the Galaxy 2' was announced a week before the first film opened and now, over a month later, it seems like one of the wisest things Marvel has done yet. Already the highest grossing film of 2014, 'Guardians' overcame its lesser-known source material and oddball tone to win over audiences and introduce the masses to the weird, cosmic corner of the Marvel universe.

But with Ronan the Accuser no longer a threat at the end of the film, who are the Guardians going to face next?

Writer/director James Gunn has already said that the mad titan Thanos won't be the Big Bad in 'Guardians 2' (they're most likely saving him for 'Avengers 3') and while we expect Nebula and The Collector to show up again in supporting, they probably won't be the main threat. In fact, there's no completely obvious choice for a bad guy in the sequel, which makes wild, geeky conjecture all the more fun!

These are a few of the potential villains who could rear their ugly heads in 'Guardians of the Galaxy 2.' Some feel like sure things, others are longshots and some may be prove impossible for legal reasons, but each of them would give Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket and Groot enough conflict to sustain a two hour movie.

J'son and the Spartoi Empire

At the end of 'Guardians of the Galaxy,' we learn that Peter Quill is half alien, with his absentee father actually being some kind of ancient, unknown alien. In the comics, it's not so mysterious: his father is J'son, a warrior and leader in the Spartoi Empire ... and he's a bit of jerk. Actually, recent comics have begun painting him and his people as outright villains who use military might and political treachery to achieve their goals.

It's unlikely that J'son will be the father of the cinematic Star-Lord, it wouldn't be surprising to see him pop up in 'Guardians of the Galaxy 2,' maybe even acting as a red herring in this whole mystery dad business. Even if all those personal connections are severed, he'd make a good villain -- after all, when you come from a planet called "Spartax," you probably know how to fight better than most. And if he is Quill's father and they're forced to fight to the death ... Well, that's just good drama.

Odds of Appearance: 10-1

Adam Warlock/The Magus

As the Marvel cinematic universe gets more cosmic, we wouldn't be surprised if Adam Warlock shows up. Originally a genetically engineered and "perfect" human specimen, Warlock finds his calling when he ventures into space and starts meddling about in the affairs of the Marvel universe. With a huge host of superpowers (including super strength, super speed, energy projection and the ability to heal himself through a cocoon), he's a formidable ally. That makes his evil, time traveling future known as the Magus a formidable villain.

Corrupted by the Soul Gem (one of those Infinity Stones that have been popping up in the past few movies), the Magus is insane, morally bankrupt and capable of raising an army and wreaking havoc on the universe. Since Adam Warlock's cocoon made a cameo in The Collector's room of artifacts, we expect the man himself is due for an appearance and that his evil self won't be far behind. After all, Marvel needs to find some way to introduce the Soul Gem into the movies, right?

Odds of Appearance: 5-1

Annihilus

Like some of the best cosmic Marvel villains, Annihilus has a crazy origin story. Originally a insectoid alien who was stranded in the Negative Zone after a scientific experiment goes awry, he grew up mean, discovered the remnants of that experiment and used that tech to build himself an army and make himself a king of sorts. Naturally, his main goal in life becomes invading the galaxy from the Negative Zone, wreaking havoc and destroying everything in his path.

Annihilus and his forces most commonly clash with the Fantastic Four, but they frequently venture into other corners of the Marvel universe, making them ideal baddies for a 'Guardians of the Galaxy' sequel. He was even he main opponent the Guardians fought in the popular "Annihilation War" storyline. The only problem is a rights issue -- there's a strong chance that is currently owned by 20th Century Fox as part of their Fantastic Four package.

Odds of Appearance: 20-1

Korvac

Korvac may have the craziest origin of any villain on this list. Originally from an alternate dimension in the distant future, he was transformed into a cyborg after falling asleep at work (seriously). Sent into the past to act as a weapon against select Marvel heroes, Korvac met up with Galactus, absorbed some of his power and became a power and unstoppable entity. To put it into perspective, it took the combined forces of the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy and other solo superheroes to take him down (and many of them died in the process).

It's unlikely that the Avengers will show up in 'Guardians of the Galaxy 2,' but Korvac's truly nutty story would be right at home in this corner of the universe. Not to mention the fact that the famed "Korvac Saga" storyline features a key appearance by The Collector, who has already been introduced. Of all the possible baddies to battle the Guardians in their sequel, he feels like the most obvious choice.

Odds of Appearance: 3-1

Wormhole

Who is Wormhole? That's an excellent question! A C-list villain, he was a minion of Loki, created specifically as part of a plan to assault Asgard. In short, he's not a major name and if he does pop up in a Marvel movie, he probably won't be the lead bad guy. But consider a few things! As his name implies, Wormhole can create portals that transport his opponents to other locations. Toss in the Asgard connection and you have a villain that directly ties the Guardians of the Galaxy to Thor and provides a way of getting Star-Lord and friends to Earth in time for 'The Avengers 3.' Hmm...

Odds of Appearance: 30-1.

The Beyonder

First of all, look at The Beyonder's awesomely tacky costume. It would fit right in with James Gunn's wacky aesthetic! That right there earns him a place in a future 'Guardians of the Galaxy' movie. The fact that he's one of the most menacing cosmic threats in the Marvel universe is secondary. The villainous mastermind behind the famous 'Secret Wars' miniseries, The Beyonder is sentient energy from an alternate reality who decides to toy with the heroes of the Marvel universe just because he can.

Although the original comics see him placing various heroes and villain on an isolated planet so he can enjoy the ultimate death match, it would be easy to retool that storyline to focus strictly on the Guardians themselves. A villain like this has unlimited potential -- to expect Marvel Studios to strictly follow the comic storylines would be silly. Still, they may want to wait just a little while longer to bring him into the fold. After all, a 'Secret Wars' movie in a few years would be pretty cool...

Odds of Appearance: 40-1

The High Evolutionary

To go into detail about the High Evolutionary is to fall down a rabbit hole of (imaginative, colorful, fun) nonsense, so here's what you need to know: he's a mad scientist in an extremely powerful suit of armor who's obsessed with creating and perfecting new forms of life. But since he's also mentally unstable and more than a little crazy, he ultimately decided to forcibly evolve mankind against their will, a crisis that required a year-long miniseries called 'The Evolutionary War' to resolve.

The High Evolutionary is a truly strange character who is borderline impossible to describe to comic neophytes, but his unstable nature and cool costume would make him a fantastic choice for a future 'Guardians of the Galaxy' villain. Unlike the stoic Ronan, this is a bad guy filled with self-doubt and self-loathing. He once tried to kill himself by intentionally angering the Hulk, only for the powers of his armor to bring him back to life against his will. C'mon, you know you want to see that on film.

Odds of Appearance: 15-1