After concluding his tenure with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) following the debut of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, renowned director James Gunn is far from done. Not only is he gearing up for a series of new collaborations, but he’s also notably keen to continue working with actress Pom Klementieff, who’s charmed audiences worldwide as Mantis in Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy films.
As the dawn of a new era is upon Gunn, he’s wholeheartedly dedicating his talents to carving out the new DC Universe (DCU), collaborating closely with Peter Safran. This shift in focus has led him towards working on high-profile DC-based projects, one of them being the much-anticipated Superman: Legacy. Rumors are circulating that Gunn has plans to integrate some of his favorite actors from his MCU work into these new projects, with Klementieff sitting comfortably at the top of that list.
Recently, Klementieff had a chat with Vanessa Kirby during an interview with The Movie Dweeb to promote her upcoming film in the Mission: Impossible franchise. The conversation swerved towards the question of whether the actress had any dialogue with Gunn about a potential transition to the DCU. As it turns out, she indeed has been in discussions with the acclaimed director.
It appears that Gunn has been eyeing Klementieff for a particular character in the DCU, though the specifics of the role remain under wraps. The actress kept fans on tenterhooks with her comment that the undisclosed character would be “really, really awesome.” Further adding to the excitement, she shared her interest in tackling more action-driven roles, an aspect of her career she’s come to appreciate through her experiences in the MCU and Mission: Impossible series.
“I’m not going to tell you which character. No, we’ve been talking about it, and there’s one specific character that he’s thinking of, and I think it would be really, really awesome. And it would have [me] continue doing action too, so it’s exciting,” stated Klementieff during the interview.
As this raises a multitude of questions, the biggest one remains: who will Klementieff play in the DCU? Without any concrete hints from the actress, fans can only engage in wild speculation until official news breaks out. Regardless, the prospect of Klementieff joining the DCU is a tantalizing one, given her shared desire to extend her professional relationship with Gunn.
On the MCU front, although it’s theoretically possible for Mantis to make an appearance post-Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, it would happen without Gunn’s directorial prowess. His current commitments lie firmly with the DCU. However, Klementieff hasn’t ruled out the possibility of her return to the MCU, though she candidly admitted to having “no clue” about it.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen with the characters, if there’s going to be more movies, if we’re going to come back,” Klementieff recently divulged to Esquire about her potential future in the MCU. “We have no clue. Mantis is going to go riding and see what’s up.”
Whatever the future holds for Klementieff in the superhero universe, she’s not fading away from the big screen anytime soon. Her fans can still catch her in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 playing in theaters, and her forthcoming film, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, is slated for release on July 12, 2023.
In conclusion, the cross-pollination of talent between the MCU and DCU, as hinted by Gunn and Klementieff’s conversations, is an exciting prospect for superhero movie aficionados. Whether she’ll stay in the cosmic corners of the MCU or hop into the action-packed world of the DCU is yet to be seen. But one thing’s for sure – Klementieff’s journey in blockbuster action films is far from over.
