Pom Klementieff has been cast as a key character in Guardians of the Galaxy 2, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The article states that Marvel conducted a wide search for its mystery part, which called for an Asian actress, and did several rounds of chemistry reads.
Who is this key character that Klementieff will play? Director James Gunn has admitted several times that he is a huge fan of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning’s reinvention of the Guardians of the Galaxy. The two characters that immediately jump out as possibilities are Moondragon and Mantis.
UPDATE: Deadline is reporting that Klementieff has been cast as Mantis.
Moondragon has a similar origin to Star-Lord:
Heather Douglas was born in Los Angeles, California, daughter of Arthur and Yvette Steckley Douglas. When Heather was still a girl, her father was driving her and her mother through the desert when they accidentally happened to see the spaceship of Thanos land; the space villain did not want any witnesses, so he destroyed their car. Heather was thrown clear and survived, but her parents were killed. (She would later discover that her father’s soul was bound into a new body, becoming Drax the Destroyer.) She was found by Thanos’ father, Mentor, who took her to his home world, Titan, to be raised by the monks of Shao-Lom.
From the monks, Heather develops her body to its full potential, becoming a formidable martial artist. They teach Heather various scientific disciplines such as chemistry and genetic engineering; but most significantly, they help Heather tap into her latent psionic powers, present within all humans. Heather is able to develop her mental powers far beyond even those of her teachers, so much so that she eventually mentally contacts a powerful entity called the Dragon of the Moon. The Dragon immediately tries to corrupt and take her over, but she fights back, driving the Dragon away. This fills her with pride and an overwhelming sense of superiority. To commemorate her victory, she takes the name Moondragon. Unknown to Heather, the Dragon subtly continues to influence her on a subconscious level. (Wikipedia)
The origin of Mantis is a bit more complicated:
Mantis is the half-Vietnamese, half-German daughter of Gustav Brandt—Libra—and was born in Huế, Vietnam. In her childhood, her father leaves her in Vietnam at the Temple of the alien Priests of Pama, a sect of the Kree. The Kree believe she might become the Celestial Madonna and mate with the eldest Cotati on Earth to become the mother of the Celestial Messiah, “the most important being in the universe.”
She excels in her martial arts studies, but when she reaches adulthood, she is mind-wiped and sent into the world to gain life experience. She becomes a prostitute and barmaid in a Vietnamese bar, where she meets the Swordsman. She helps him regain his self-respect and follows him when the former villain attempts to rejoin the Avengers. She became an Avengers ally when the Swordsman rejoined the Avengers, and she battled the Lion God alongside them. (Wikipedia)
After reading the report that, Marvel was looking for an Asian actress, Mantis sounds like an easy call. Gunn loves his aliens and Mantis is a fun character that could provide comic relief.
But…
The casting call that when out earlier this week for the film mentioned that they were looking for beautiful bald women. Moondragon is bald, arrogant, and the long lost daughter of Drax. This dynamic practically writes its self. Who doesn’t want to see Peter Quil try to sleep with Drax’s daughter?
What character do you want to see in Guardians of the Galaxy 2?
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is written and directed by James Gunn and stars Bradley Cooper, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Michael Rooker, Vin Diesel, and Zoe Saldana.
The film will be in theaters on May 5, 2017.
