‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ star confirms she’d been keeping her character’s secret for years

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 star Pom Klementieff has confessed to holding onto a secret regarding her character for years.

Speaking to Digital Spy, the actress revealed had known of Mantis’ relation to Peter Quill ever since she first accepted the role. Klementieff’s Mantis confirms in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special that she is Quill’s sister, following her admission that the pair have the same father in Ego.

Revealing the relation towards the end of the special, which was released last year, Mantis tells Quill that Ego “is my father, too,” to which Chris Pratt‘s excited Star-Lord replies: “Mantis, that’s the greatest Christmas gift I could ever get.” Elaborating on the big reveal, Klementieff said that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 director James Gunn had informed her of the sibling connection long before it was revealed on the special. 

“I knew that since the beginning, since I got cast as Mantis. James Gunn told me that we were siblings and it was supposed to be in one scene with Gamora and Mantis, [but] it got cut out of the movie, and then the movie was pushed for years.” Seemingly relieved that the cat is now out of the bag, Klementieff said she “finally got to shoot a scene in the Holiday Special that revealed” the pair’s relationship. 

Klementieff — who has portrayed Mantis in four films across the Marvel Cinematic Universe — went on to reveal that she wasn’t the only actor aware of the character’s family tree, saying she “had to keep the secret for years,” and that “the cast knew as well.” Her admission comes ahead of the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which will premiere in May and will mark the franchise’s final installment.