Miley Cyrus's Role In Guardians Of The Galaxy Recast For Part 3

Singer-songwriter-actress Miley Cyrus voiced the character Mainframe in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but she will not return for the trilogy-capper hitting theaters on May 5.

Tara Strong, a veteran voice actor from TV and video games, will voice Mainframe in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, according to Collider. Strong herself seemingly confirmed the news on Twitter.

Cyrus played Mainframe, an AI without a body, in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. If you didn't know that, it's understandable given that Mainframe only appeared in a very brief post-credits scene. In any event, fans might have believed that Marvel had more in store for Cyrus in the MCU, but that was not to be. Strong is taking over the role for Vol. 3 and potentially beyond if Mainframe has any other MCU appearances lined up for the future.

Before Vol. 2, Cyrus starred on the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana and more recently appeared in an episode of Black Mirror Season 5 as a fictional pop star named Ashley O.

As for why Cyrus is not returning for Vol. 3, that's anyone's guess. She is riding high at the moment off the success of her latest single, "Flowers."

Writer-director James Gunn originally approached Cyrus to do voice work for Vol. 2 after watching her on Season 11 of The Voice. "I was admiring the tone of Miley Cyrus' voice," Gunn told BuzzFeed News in 2017. "I find her funny and likable and sweet. I liked that she cared about the contestants. So we contacted her, and she said yes. She came in and recorded, and she was a delight to work with."

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 releases in theaters Friday, May 5. It ends the current Guardians of the Galaxy series, but the franchise could continue down the road with a (mostly) new cast.