For most people, Wednesday means nothing more than the middle of the work week, a.k.a. “Hump Day.” For those who have been following Marvel’sGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2ever since production started in February, Wednesday’s have taken on a different meaning. For the past few weeks, writer-directorJames Gunnhas been sharinghand-drawn storyboardsthrough social media, revealing one of the scenes they shot on theGuardians of the Galaxy 2set in a new tradition known as #WhatWeShotWednesday. Earlier today, the director kept the tradition alive, by sharing an illustration of a brand new character, Mantis (Pom Klementieff).
Back in October,Pom Klementieffbecame the first new cast member ofGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, with rumors swirling right away that she would playMantis, which was later confirmed. Mantis first appeared in Avengers #112 (June 1973), created bySteve EnglehartandDon Heck. Born in Hue, Vietnam, she is the half-Vietnamese, half-German daughter of Gustav Brandt, a.k.a. Libra. During her childhood, she was left by her father at the Priests of Pama temple in Vietnam, who were part of the Kree alien race. She excelled at martial arts before having her memory erased and sent out into the world, where she ended up meeting The Swordsman, becoming an ally to The Avengers after The Swordsman joined the team.
Like all ofJames Gunn’s illustrations, it’s hard to determine what is actually happening in the scene that he shot today. Mantis is clearly at the center of this drawing, along with two more unspecified characters, with the director mentioning the word “tremble” on the drawing. We’re not sure what this means, but it’s worth noting that one of Mantis' many powers is an incredible control over her own body, including involuntary and autonomic functions like her heartbeat, breathing and bleeding. It seems unlikely that Mantis would be “trembling” at all, unless she absolutely wants to, for whatever reason.
Previous #WhatWeShotWednesday drawings have featuredGroot(Vin Diesel) and Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), with another drawing teasing a scene that reveals the identity ofStar-Lord’s father.James Gunnhas confirmed that fans will get the answer to this burning question in the sequel, and while we’ll have to wait until August 17, 2025 to find out who it is, the filmmaker has confirmed that it won’t be the same character from the comics, J’son. There has also been speculation thatKurt Russell, whose character hasn’t been confirmed, may be playing Star-Lord’s dad.
Guardians of the GalaxystarsChris Pratt,Zoe Saldana,Dave Bautista,Bradley CooperandVin Dieselwill be back as the Guardians, along withMichael Rooker,Karen GillanandSean Gunn. Other new cast members includeElizabeth Debicki,Chris SullivanandTommy Flanagan, although their roles have not yet been confirmed. Take a look atJames Gunn’s latest #WhatWeShotWednesday storyboard from the set ofGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and stay tuned for more details.
