So I though the good old "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" might fit (well, maybe not the blue, but whatever... we'll get to that). I'll just give my thoughts in that order.
Something old: One (atleast) companion who is kind of a familiar face I think is a good thing. Even if it's on the level of Isabela or Merrill where maybe not everybody knew right from the start that they were both in DAO. I also firmly believe that they really need to make sure that this familiar face isn't someone who might've been killed in a previous game (Anders, I'm looking at you... I've killed you in two games now). I've seen a lot of people ask for Cullen, but I fear he's "too known" and that some will greatly dislike him (I really didn't like him in DAO, but found him ok in DA2).
Something new: We need new faces, both as main character and companions. Not only in terms of simply adding new characters, but actually characters we wouldn't expect. Too often in RPGs characters fit a certain stereotype, and it can get a bit dull (the jolly dwarf, the elf mage, etc.). DA2 started on the right path with both Fenris and Anders in my opinion, but both of those were seriously one-dimensional (maybe not lore-wise, but in terms of the gameplay) for me to ever have them in my party unless needed. So, I hope DA3 will bring in atleast one character who isn't typical for a fantasy-rpg.
Something borrowed: So, by borrowed is different from old in that they should look to what worked in previous games (not just DAO&DA2), but go as far back as Baldur's Gate. A lot of things (in terms of companions) worked, and I'm not going to list them all here. My big idea here though is that if they (Bioware) want to add a more personal touch/story to the character - do it like in Baldur's Gate did with Imoen. A friend. I quite liked the concept of family in DA2 - and to some extent it worked. What bugged me was that I (or rather, my character) had no impact on which of the siblings lived. My favorite class to play is mage, but I have no love for Carver. So for me it's the "wrong" kind of choice. And my dislike for Carver is not due to good writing (some characters I dislike for the right reasons - that is, I don't agree with them)... But Carver (like Anders and Fenris) are just boring characters (I know this is subjective, and this is my opinion). But anyway, to return to the point - a friend as a starting companion I feel would do the trick of getting you invested on a slightly more personal level. And for "balance" you could have the friend's class change depending on what class you pick for your character.
And last but not least, something blue... Uhm, I've got nothing. But hey, some Wardens wear blue. And a warden companion might work... But I'm not sure. In the past two games we've been told that the Wardens give up their lives to fight darkspawn - and to me it seems that the darkspawn have become an enemy on the sidelines, so a warden as a fulltime companion might be a bit weird (and please, I don't want another runaway-warden). I just got an idea writing this last bit... More part-time companions might actually work. Less investment, sure, but having a character that shows up and joins you from time to time (such as a warden) might be an interesting change.
Anyway, this post became way longer than I first imagined. But would like to hear your thoughts regarding companions, and how you want 'em to work in DA3 (and not too much specifics like "bring back X", there are plenty of threads for that already).
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I doubt either of them will return as a possible companion in DA3, because they can both be killed. Although, that hasn't stopped Bioware before... Other than that I can't remember having seen a blue creature in the world of Dragon Age. Maybe we can have a blue dragon?
