Galaxy has its Guardians, and Gamora is one of them. Mantis indeed joined the team later, but gradually she too became a crucial part of the team. However, there was a time when James Gunn didn’t like Mantis and Gamora.
Unlike Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy are very much confined to a team of six members. When formed, the team had only five members. Mantis used to serve Ego, and she joined them later after the Guardians defeated StarLord’s father Ego. Even though every member had a reason to be in the team, Gamora had the most concrete reason among them.
Gamora was adopted cum abducted daughter of Thanos who wanted to take her revenge from Thanos. The Guardians of the Galaxy is considered as one of the best franchises of MCU, and the fans like to hail James Gunn, director, for his colourful vision and engaging portrayal. But there was a time when James Gunn didn’t like Mantis and Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy.
Highlights
- James Gunn didn’t like Mantis and Gamora – But why?
- Andy Park shares the previous designs of Mantis and Gamora.
- James Gunn didn’t like original Mantis and Gamora – Andy reveals the reason.

James Gunn didn’t like Mantis and Gamora – But why?
It’s true. Even though gradually Mantis and Gamora became very crucial to Guardians of the Galaxy and even to the MCU, there was a time when James Gunn didn’t like Mantis and Gamora. James Gunn is known for his peculiar sense of creativity and firm stand to his ideas of his movies.
There had been times when fans demanded the return of Yondu from the dead, and James Gunn, even after facing outrage, discarded that demand without consideration. James Gunn never considers anything just for the sake of fans demand or Studio’s preference.
Whatever serves his movie in the best way possible is his only preference. And that’s the reason when James didn’t like the previous versions of Mantis and Gamora, he got them toned down to the versions we finally got to see on the screen in MCU’s Guardians of the Galaxy.
Andy Park shares the previous designs of Mantis and Gamora.
Andy Park, Marvel Studio’s Director of Visual department, recently shared the original concept art of Mantis and Gamora on Instagram. Andy Park, through two posts, showed us a closeup to the original concept art of Mantis and Gamora, and in captions mentioned the reason for James Gunn rejecting them.
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If you see, you’ll find that the original concept of Mantis brought her insect-like characteristics on her face more vibrantly. Similarly, in the case of Gamora, Andy shared a concept design that was finalised even before the casting of Zoe Saldana.
The design shows a fiercer Gamora with purple striking lines running down through her body. Both the concept designs were somewhat finalized, but at the end moment, James Gunn didn’t like the concepts of Mantis and Gamora.
James Gunn didn’t like original Mantis and Gamora – Andy reveals the reason.
The original concept designs of Mantis and Gamora looked spectacular, yet James Gunn discarded them. Andy Park shared the reason in his Instagram posts. Andy reveals that James Gunn wanted simpler looking Gamora and Mantis. Though the concept designs revealed the true nature of their characters, Gunn preferred the look that the audience can instantly familiarize with.
Thus, the final look of Mantis and Gamora that we saw on screen in The Guardians of the Galaxy was much more plain and simpler. Andy wrote in the caption that it was later confirmed with the response of fans, that the decision James took was just and right for the movie.
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