Guardians Of The Galaxy Concept Art Shows Mantis’ Original, More Insectoid Look

Previously revealed Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 concept art shows a more insectoid look for Mantis. The character is played by Pom Klementieff in the MCU, who didn’t make her Marvel debut until the second film. The Guardians encounter Mantis when they meet Peter Quill’s father, Ego. Though she originally works for him, Mantis quickly switches allegiance to the Guardians, even risking her life to stop Ego. Mantis then appeared in both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, helping the team to stop Thanos. At this point, Mantis is considered a full member of the Guardians and is expected to appear in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Unfortunately, no one knows yet when the third film will come out. No release date announcement has been made yet, and with everything on hold due to the coronavirus, it seems unlikely it will happen anytime soon. Director James Gunn, who also helmed the first two Guardians movies, has been keeping fans excited about the upcoming film thanks to watch parties and interactions on Twitter. However, he hasn’t shared too much information about Mantis’ role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, other than to say her powers limit her from giving young Gamora her memories of the Guardians.

Before Mantis’ appearance in the next Guardians movie, fans have another chance to see what she might have looked like in the MCU. The Mantis concept art comes from Marvel Studios Director of Visual Development Andy Park, who shared a previously revealed image that focuses more on the insect elements of the character. Though the image isn’t new, Park’s caption is, as he explains the design wasn’t used because Gunn wanted Mantis’ look to be a bit simpler. Park previously revealed the director used the same principle when deciding on a design for Gamora. Check out Park’s post below:

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, artists have done the same thing directors like Gunn have done and taken to social media to share behind-the-scenes details from past and upcoming films. Park in particular has shared dozens of concept images in the past several weeks, including ones of the Sakaarans and as mentioned, fellow Guardian Gamora. Park has also revealed many different options for Brie Larson in Captain Marvel, as he also worked on that character. The concept art from Park and other artists has served as a welcome distraction for fans during this time when movies they’re excited about continue to face delays.

Seeing the Mantis concept art again is interesting, especially since the character will now play a larger role in the MCU. However, Park’s caption is even more interesting, as it reveals Gunn’s motivation behind Mantis’ final design. The process of creating a character for a comic book movie is especially daunting, since fans are used to seeing a very specific version. Luckily, it seems Park agrees that less was more when it came to Mantis, which clearly benefited her character in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.