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Baby Groot and Mantis join the ragtag crew of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

baby groot mantis new in guardians of the galaxy 2 1 0
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 Concept Art Andy Park/Marvel
Fans waiting for the next installment in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise just got a small taste of what to expect. A group portrait of the cast in the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was revealed this weekThe concept art features the whole Guardians crew returning for another adventure, along with some changes and new additions.

Star-Lord, Drax the Destroyer, Yondu, Rocket Raccoon, Nebula, and Gamora are depicted front and center with a tiny baby Groot standing on Drax’s shoulder. In the background, a new alien character, Mantis, is shown sprouting wispy antennae from her forehead.

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Pom Klementieff, best known for her role in Spike Lee’s Oldboy, is new to the film franchise. Her character Mantis is described by executive producer Jonathan Schwartz as an individual lacking social skills and experience with social interaction, according to Entertainment Weekly.

One can only imagine the level of social ability she will pick up from the gang, and the resulting comedy should be fun to watch. Schwartz hinted that Mantis may not be the only new character in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2., and said that fans will have to get reacquainted with a younger, more rambunctious Groot.

Kurt Russell joins the cast of Guardians for their new chapter, and the film’s stars took to Twitter to share their admiration of the veteran actor. James Gunn called Russell “a true talent and pleasure in every way.” Chris Pratt kept his comments simple by just stating that, “Kurt Russell is the f***ing best.” It appears that there was a strong chemistry between the cast and Russell while filming.

The next chapter of the Guardians saga is scheduled for release on May 5, 2017. The cast is scheduled to attend San Diego’s Comic-Con, and Marvel plans to release the group portrait at the event. The cast will also appear on Conan O’Brien’s live coverage of the event in CONAN360 VR.

Dave Palmer
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Dave’s technology geek-fest began with the classic Commodore 64 computer, which started a lifelong passion for all things…
Who dies at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?
Nebula carries Star-Lord's limp body in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

It's the end of an era. Nearly a decade ago, Guardians of the Galaxy changed the MCU forever and introduced the world to a band of a-holes who, over the course of several movies, grew into a family. Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Groot, Mantis, and Nebula have become sentimental favorites to MCU fans and helped usher in the cosmic side of Marvel that is the dominant playground for Phase 5.

When things come to an end, however, that usually means someone bites the big one. And certainly, in the press and trailers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, there's a strong indication that death will visit one or more of our beloved Guardians. Zoe Saldana has openly spoken about being done with playing Gamora, one of the MCU's best female characters, after this movie; ditto Dave Bautista with Drax. And one of the key promo images for the movie has Nebula carrying Star-Lord's limp body. Did I also mention one of the key plot points involves Rocket being mortally wounded?

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'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' Nebula (Karen Gillan), Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), and Drax (Dave Bautista) wearing black and red uniforms, walking along a metal ship hallway.

When a certain type of movie ends, audiences know it's not time to leave the theaters just yet. It's now a ritual for audiences to linger after the end credits roll for superhero movies and even "regular" movies like John Wick: Chapter 4, as they know there will be one or two (or in some cases, more) "stingers" that tease about the endless sequels and cinematic universes that dominate the pop culture landscape. Marvel perfected the art of the end credits sequence in The Avengers, with the reveal of Thanos as the architect behind a grand scheme to collect all the Infinity Stones.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is certain to continue this tradition when it's released on May 4. The last film in James Gunn's trilogy, Vol. 3 has fans curious about what will happen to the beloved team in what appears to be their final adventure together. Does the film have any post-end credits scenes? And if so, what do they reveal about the future of the Guardians and the MCU? Find out by reading below!
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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 post-credits scene No. 1: a new team is born

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'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' Nebula (Karen Gillan), Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), and Drax (Dave Bautista) wearing black and red uniforms, walking along a metal ship hallway.

After a long and winding journey, Marvel Studios has finally released James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. This highly-anticipated film follows the Guardians as they face off against the Rocket’s creator, the High Evolutionary, in their darkest but most beautiful adventure yet.
Since this seems to be the last time we’ll see the Guardians together, now’s a good time to rank all the characters who rocked cinemas in their final tour.
Please note: there are major spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in this article.
13. Ayesha

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