'Guardians Of The Galaxy 2' Theories: Who Is Mantis? New Cast Member Could Connect The Heroes To The Avengers

As the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) continues to expand, more and more characters will be introduced from the comic book source material before the story finally climaxes in 2019 with the final installment in “Avengers: Infinity War.” Now, it’s been confirmed that a new addition to the films will be made in James Gunn’s upcoming “Guardians of the Galaxy” sequel in a mysterious role.

According to Deadline, French actress Pom Klementieff has been cast for a yet unspecified role in “Guardians of the Galaxy 2.” The actress is best known in the U.S. for her part in the 2013 remake of the movie “Oldboy.” While her specific character is being kept a secret for the time being, the outlet claims sources have revealed she’ll play the Marvel Comics character Mantis.

The character’s official bio from Marvel notes that Mantis was born to a Vietnamese mother and a German father, each of whom ended up becoming supervillains in their own right. In the comics, she was partially raised on earth by a group of people with ties to the Kree alien race. Those who paid close attention to the first “Guardians” movie will remember that the movie’s principal villain, Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace), was a Kree. The priests train her to be a martial arts expert as well as grant her some of their telepathic abilities. Over time, she morphs into a superhero all her own. In the comic books, Mantis frequently works in uneasy partnerships with The Avengers, which caused many outlets to believe that her introduction will finally bridge the gap between the cosmic heroes in “Guardians of the Galaxy” and Earth’s mightiest heroes in “The Avengers” in time for the big war with Thanos, played by Klementieff’s “Oldboy” co-star Josh Brolin.

As CinemaBlend points out, this isn’t the first time that Mantis has been teased in the MCU. Rumors previously circulated that the character would be introduced in “Avengers: Age of Ultron” in order to set up a plotline that would eventually lead to a team up between the two power groups in “Avengers: Infinity War.” However, since that obviously didn’t happen in the “Avengers” sequel, the outlet notes that the plotline may have been reserved for “Guardians 2” instead.

Unfortunately, with “Guardians of the Galaxy 2” not arriving until May 5, 2017, all anyone can do is speculate about the plot of the film right now. Still, odds are good that Marvel Studios is looking to connect “Guardians of the Galaxy” to its Earth-centric cavalcade of heroes and villains before it ends its 11-year-run. As a result, it’s not outside the realm of possibility to assume that the alleged introduction of Mantis will be the first step on that journey.

Are you excited to see a new Marvel comics character hit the big screen? Comment your Mantis thoughts below or tweet them to @TylerMcCarthy.