James Gunn breaks silence on why Miley Cyrus was recast for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3

The new Guardians of the Galaxy film is so intense and emotional that viewers probably didn't notice that a certain someone was missing.

The third volume of the hit MCU franchise, directed by James Gunn, is officially out in cinemas now and the reviews are out of this world - get it?

But some fans who didn't walk out of theatres wiping away tears or still trying to wrap their heads around what they had just witnessed, were more concerned about where Miley Cyrus was.

In case you weren't caught up on your Guardians lore, Miley, 30, made a brief appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 back in 2017.

The 'Flowers' singer starred in a post-credits scene as Mainframe, an AI leader and companion of the Guardians.

In the scene, fans saw actors Michelle Yeoh, Sylvester Stallone, Ving Rhames, Michael Rosenbaum, who play the United Ravagers, gathered together after the death of Yondu, who was Star Lord's surrogate father.

Stallone, who plays Stakar Ogord, says in the scene: "You know, it's a shame that it took the tragedy of losing Yondu to bring us all together again, but I think he would be proud knowing we're back as a team."

Mainframe the robot then says: "I miss you guys so much."

The voice behind the character was kept top secret for a while, but it wasn't long before James Gunn let it slip that the singer was behind it.

But, when Mainframe reappeared in Guardians 3, some hardcore MCU fans noticed that Miley was no longer voicing the character.

In a Q&A session with James Gunn on Twitter, one fan asked him about the recast.

"Was Miley Cyrus not able to reprise her role from Guardians 2? Was that the same character?" they asked.

James, who had told fans who would only be replying with 'Yes' or 'No' answers, tweeted: "Yes. Yes."

In Guardians 3, Mainframe is instead played by Tara Strong.

While Strong does a great job, it's a shame that Miley had to be replaced - especially since James Gunn appeared to be a big fan of hers.

"I find her funny and likeable and sweet," Gunn had said of Cyrus in a Buzzfeed interview.

"I liked that she cared about the contestants. So I was like, 'I think she would be a funny person to have as a voice.'

"So we contacted her, and she said yes. She came in and recorded, and she was a delight to work with."