Boy, do we have some stuff for you. NYCC is in full swing and – surprise! – I was not invited to the Marvel party. Que sera sera, House of Ideas.

Today’s exclusive scoops are surprisingly ‘Iron Man 3′ light, but they do cover two different flicks from PHASE TWO.

This just in, there are three characters on the Guardians who are drawing most of the focus “at the moment:” Star-Lord, Gamora and Drax The Destroyer. These three characters are getting visual and backstory updates to meld them into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and going off the plot we already know ( “a U.S. pilot who ends up in space in the middle of a universal conflict and goes on the run with futuristic ex-cons who have something everyone wants.”), it’s easy to see how Star-Lord, Peter Quill, will hijack his way into space and meet up with the roving future Guardians.

Gamora and Drax getting the highlight treatment over Rocket Raccoon and Groot makes sense since the traditional backstories for both of those characters tie them to ‘Guardians’ and ‘Avengers 2′ villain Thanos (Gamora was adopted by Thanos and Drax was a man whose consciousness was transferred into the Drax body with the express purpose to kill the Mad Titan at the behest of Kronos). Also, Rocket Racoon and Groot are not humanoid characters, so – yeah – it’ll probably be easy not to focus on them

Basically, look for these backstories to get re-tooled and these costumes to be updated.

IN RUMORVILLE (Read: Da7e-speculation): Gamora is tied to both Adam Warlock (who us comic nerds are half-assuming will make an appearance in ‘Guardians’) and Nova, who has been rumored to be part of ‘Guardians’ ever since the official concept art had Nova stars in the background.

Universal Conflict? We know we can’t have the Skrulls or Kree, so why not Nova corps?

SEEKING AGENT 13

Ok, this is going to get a little wonky. We’ve been covering a few shortlists for Captain America 2’s female lead. The assumption on behalf of comics fans is that we’re looking for Agent 13, AKA Sharon Carter, the niece of ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’s Peggy Carter.

The list is Palmer, Poots, Clarke, Brown-Findley and Alison Brie. It’s CONFIRMED that marvel is looking for a character in her 20s with ‘an accent.’ Palmer, Poots, Clarke and Brown-Findley if requested for a screen test will do so with their native accents, Alison Brie will screen test with her British accent (oh, Alison Brie’s British accent and the Inspector Spacetime gag reel outtakes on Community’s Season 3 DVD…). Since the deleted ‘Avengers’ Cap scenes revealed that Peggy was alive and well in the UK, this is consistent with Sharon Carter.

BUT, I have to blow your mind a bit here. List and screen test details aside, the person Marvel has the most traction with right now hasn’t been on any shortlist, because it’s MARY ELIZABETH WINSTEAD.

Seems like it could be her part for the taking if they are holding off on screen testing the list we all blogged about.

THE MEN – VILLAINS?

I’m going to assume that with Anthony Mackey possibly bringing The Falcon to ‘Cap 2,’ Black Widow showing up and Bucky returning as The Winter Soldier that the two “very physical” male parts Marvel is looking to cast are our villains. Then again, if we’re looking at a globe hopping SHIELD adventure, who am I to say that one of these isn’t the new Coulson or whathaveyou?

What we do know is there are two male roles up for grabs. One is an American character and the other is a foreign character, both roles – we cannot stress enough – are physical.

Looks like Marvel likes the idea of pulling from the Game of Thrones wheelhouse (Alan Talor on ‘Thor 2′) because a name shortlisted for one of these parts is Nikolaj Coster Waldau. Nicolaj is up against his Lost counterpart Josh Holloway. Unless this report screws it for them, expect both to be screen tested.

Also on the list, but more clinging to edge of it from the sound of things is Kevin Durand, who makes a great bad guy (and was the focus of the single surprising moment in ‘Cosmopolis’…and also from ‘Lost’ now that I think about it).

I’m not going to speculate as to who these characters are. I’ll let you Lukin from the Zemos from the Roxxons and the MODOKs.

Talkin’ Bout Marvel:

So Superior Spider-Man has claws? And a claw on his big toe? Last Spider-Man to have claws was Miguel O’Hara. Don’t you dare make 616 Miles Morales Superior Spider-Man. Between O’Hara, The Tarantula and my hypothetical, that would mean only Hispanic people with Spider Powers get claws.