Lylla the Otter (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3)
There is a spaceship load of occupants in the Guardians trilogy. Other than the eponymous crew, which now has well over the initial number of members (which was five), the third movie is also populated with Starhawk, Master Karja, the High Evolutionary, Ayesha, and her son Adam. The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 scene-stealer award had Adam Warlock written all over it. Will Poulter is a prodigious new addition to the MCU, playing a misguided superpowered creation, who starred in his own comic book series for years - plus the decision to point Warlock in the direction of oblivious comicality paid off particularly well.
Yet it is Rocket’s friend Lylla who takes the prize as the innocent otter. Linda Cardellini sweetly voices Lylla after portraying Laura Barton in the Avengers franchise and the Hawkeye limited series. Although she is relegated strictly to several flashback sequences, Lylla is an important part of one of the most heartbreaking stories in MCU history.
Rocket grows close to three friends during his time in captivity, each one more adorable than the next, and it is Lylla who stands out as a counterpart to Rocket. She represents the tragedy of what could have been Rocket’s fate. And like Rocket, she is funny, touching, and evokes what audiences would ironically recognize as the essence of being human.
The fact that this anthropomorphic otter sticks in one’s mind long after the credit scenes wrap up demonstrates how meaningful Lylla was to Rocket in a short period of time. Since there is slim to no chance that Lylla will be returning to the MCU, her role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is even more special.