Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy offers an interesting take on its lineup of heroes. Their designs are entirely unique, which is seen with Star-Lord’s divisive haircut and Rocket’s Groot-shaped goatee, while their storylines are directly inspired by the comics. As such, Star-Lord’s backstory is different from what movie fans might expect, and characters like Cosmo take on a prominent role that they have not had in the movies thus far.
One of the most surprising characters in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is Mantis. While actress Emmanuelle Lussier-Martinez plays Mantis with a similar voice and cheerful tone to Pom Klementieff’s live action version, this is where the similarities end. In the game, Mantis is a far more powerful character with a different look and more abilities, something that makes her one of the standouts in a game full of well realized characters.
All The Ways Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy’s Mantis Differs From The MCU Version
When Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy fans first meet Mantis, they should notice that her skin is a different color. In the game, it is pink, a clear difference from her movie and comic appearances. Further, while she boasts large black eyes in the MCU, they are green in the game. They also glow when she is using her powers, and her Antenna can be seen sticking out of her hair, which is significantly longer than it is in the movies.
Speaking of Mantis’ powers, she is far stronger in the game that MCU fans may have expected. In the films, her powers are limited to those of an empath, as she can feel and influence the emotions of others. In the game, she boasts precognitive abilities on top of her empath skills. As such, she has seen the future and several versions of it, with the Celestial Madonna often telling the Guardians about potential futures both good and bad.
Mantis is also far more formidable when it comes to fighting in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. In the movies, she is rarely seen battling foes herself, with the character usually left on the sidelines or being knocked out of serious fights quickly. In the game, she is an excellent martial artist, defeating Drax the Destroyer in a one-on-one fight. She boasts some neat blades that resemble those of an actual praying mantis, and she even shows that she is a skilled pilot in the final moments of the story.
On top of all this, Mantis’ personality is significantly different. While she is still adorable like in the films, as she nicknames Rocket “Little Fuzzy” and constantly mispronounces Adam Warlock’s name, she is much less timid than she is in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. She is able to serve as an outlet of support for Gamora following Nebula’s death, being a therapist of sorts for the deadliest woman in the galaxy. She also fights on her own to rescue people from a Universal Church of Truth attack, proving that she can hold her own and be a hero when she isn’t with the team.
With this version of Mantis able to speak Groot’s language, too, she is much more experienced than the one in the films. While it makes sense that the MCU version would be more limited in this area, as she was stuck serving Ego, it is still fun to see her being able to do so much. With a potential relationship with Star-Lord teased - and fully possible since the game does not position Gamora as a love interest - it will be interesting to see her story continue if Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy becomes a series.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.