The MCU Can Finally Fix The One Guardian Of The Galaxy Her Own Creator Didn't Like

The MCU's Mantis is vastly different from her Marvel Comics counterpart, but after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, some of these changes can be fixed.

After the events of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Marvel Studios can fix the Guardian of the Galaxy that disappointed her own creator. Pom Klementieff joined the MCU in 2017's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, introduced as Ego the Living Planet's aide prior to joining the Guardians of the Galaxy team. Since her debut, Mantis became a much more pivotal member of the team and was even revealed to be Peter Quill's half-sister (both children of Ego), though left the team at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 to forge her own path in the MCU's future.

When adapting Mantis for the live-action MCU, many changes were made to the Marvel Comics character to better fit the world of the MCU. While these changes weren't necessarily noticeable to many and perhaps worked better for the cosmic nature of the Guardians of the Galaxy and Star-Lord's own backstory, some of these changes were controversial. Pom Klementieff's future as Mantis in the MCU is uncertain after the Guardians' Phase 5 storyline, but with the character now heading out on her own adventure, Marvel Studios can begin to make the empathic hero more comic accurate.

Mantis' Creator Was Unhappy With Her Portrayal In The MCU

When Mantis was first introduced in the MCU's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, one of her co-creators, Marvel Comics writer Steve Englehart, mentioned to Polygon that he didn't very much like Marvel Studios' depiction of Mantis. While Englehart noted that he enjoyed Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 very much, he went on to question why Marvel Studios "[took] a character who is as distinctive as Mantis is and [did] a completely different character and still [called] her Mantis." These concerns were shared by others, as Mantis' backstory, personality, and storylines in Marvel Comics are wildly different from those depicted in the MCU.

Mantis first appeared in Marvel Comics in 1973's The Avengers #112, debuting as the half-Vietnamese, half-German daughter of Gustav Brandt, the villain known as Libra. After being abandoned by her father at the temple of the alien Priests of Pama, a sect of Kree, the Kree discover that Mantis is destined to become the Celestial Madonna and birth the Celestial Messiah Sequioa, "the most important being in the universe." Mantis trains in martial arts and works and works some casual jobs before joining the Avengers, only later joining the Guardians of the Galaxy, but this entire backstory was changed when Mantis was brought into the MCU.

How Mantis Can Be More Comic Accurate In The MCU After GOTG 3

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ended with the original Guardians team disbanding, each heading their separate ways or staying on Knowhere to build a new society. Only Rocket and Groot remained as members of the new Guardians of the Galaxy, while Mantis left to figure out who she is without the oversight of Ego or the Guardians themselves. Now that Mantis is alone, it's possible that pieces of her Marvel Comics story could finally be adapted properly into live-action, as her journey across the stars could bring her into contact with the Kree, who have had large roles in the MCU's Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain Marvel franchises.

Should Mantis come across the Kree in the MCU's future, this could mark the beginning of an adaptation of Marvel Comics Celestial Madonna storyline, Mantis' defining story. During this storyline, Mantis is forced to marry Kang the Conqueror, who wants a powerful heir to his empire, so this would fit perfectly into the MCU's Multiverse Saga. Mantis is more assertive and confident in Marvel Comics, which are traits that viewers have seen develop over the course of her MCU career and will surely continue now that she is forging a life for herself. Marvel Studios has the perfect opportunity to blend Mantis' comic and MCU backstories into one concise storyline.

Some Elements Of Mantis Still Can't Work In The MCU

While several major aspects of Mantis' Marvel Comics story could now be integrated into the MCU, there are still several key points that simply won't work with the version of the character that James Gunn and Marvel Studios designed. For starters, Mantis is human in Marvel Comics, though developed various superhuman abilities over her travels - some of which she has already shown off in the MCU, such as her empathic psychic ability, enhanced strength, and martial arts abilities. Mantis is clearly an alien in the MCU, however, but after the ending of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, she could become far more similar to her Marvel Comics counterpart.