On Jan. 10, music lost one of its greatest.

David Bowie was one of the most creative and influential musicians in history — but that doesn't do him justice. Bowie wasn't just a musician: he was a songwriter, a producer, an artist and an actor.

Speaking of his acting, David Bowie's Hollywood career was something of an oddity. Calling it sporadic is an understatement ... and yet, Bowie helped bring some of the most iconic characters to life in a way that few could. Even if you haven't seen many of his films, most everyone remembers Jareth — Labyrinth just wouldn't be the same without Bowie as the Goblin King.

That's why James Gunn's most recent Facebook post stings so much: on top of paying his respects to the legendary musician, Gunn revealed that he and Marvel Studios producer Kevin Feige were planning on including Bowie in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2:

"Just a very short while ago Kevin Feige and I were talking about a cameo role in Guardians Vol. 2, and he brought up Bowie's name. I told him nothing in the world would make me happier, but I heard from common friends he wasn't doing well. We heard back that he was okay and it could potentially happen."

Given Bowie's ties to science fiction as a whole, it makes sense that he'd make an appearance in Gunn's love letter to all things sci-fi. From the sound of things, it could have happened — unfortunately, Bowie's long battle with cancer came to an end before anything could be finalized.

"Thank you, David, for all you've given to my life, my relationships, and my career. Thank you most for helping me to make it through high school. Your music let me believe there was something magic out there, I only needed to hold on a few more years to experience it. I'm glad I did."

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is due out on May 5, 2017. You can read all of Gunn's tribute to Bowie over at his Facebook page.