The first look at the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' sequel features this new character
There's quite a bit of time until the sequel to the summer 2014 blockbuster "Guardians of the Galaxy" hits theaters on May 5, 2017, but we now have our first look at what to expect.
The first official concept art for "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" features all the favorites: Star-Lord, Drax, Gamora, Rocket, adorable baby Groot, Yondu, and Nebula.
There's also a new face. Standing behind Nebula and sporting antennae is Mantis, an affiliate of the Guardians in the Marvel comics. Pom Klementieff, mostly known for Spike Lee's "Oldboy," will star as the new hero, whose powers include communicating telepathically with plants, surviving in space, and transferring herself between plants across interstellar distances or interdimensionally.
Considering much of the action of "Guardians" is set in space, Mantis will probably come in handy. It also wouldn't be surprising to see her take over Groot in a crisis.
In the comics, Mantis is a former Avenger who uses her telepathy to help Star-Lord form the Guardians, though that storyline doesn't seem like it will fit for the sequel.
"She has never really experienced social interaction," executive producer Jonathan Schwartz told Entertainment Weekly. "Everything she learns about dealing with people, she learns from the Guardians of the Galaxy, which is a very weird group to learn your social intricacies from."
Schwartz also hinted that Mantis might not be the only new character, adding that baby Groot isn't going to be the same Groot we knew and loved in the first film.
"He doesn't have the wisdom and experience of that Groot," he said. "He's a younger Groot and a more rambunctious Groot. The question is, is he the same Groot, just smaller? Or is he a different Groot that's sprung up from the seed of the first Groot?"
All we can hope for is that he still loves to dance: