The MCU's Mantis Has More Powers Than You Realize

Warning: SPOILERS for The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special ahead.What Mantis can do in Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special — and Mantis' powers in an Avengers: Infinity War deleted scene — suggests that the Guardian is much more powerful than viewers realize. Apart from how Mantis can read minds and control anyone she comes in physical contact with, Mantis was also shown to possess the agility of her namesake insect in the Holiday Special. While this makes Drax and Mantis' problem of getting over Kevin Bacon's gate sillier in hindsight, it also reveals how the movies have only scratched the surface of Mantis' MCU powers since she debuted in Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2.

In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, MCU Phase 5 is bound to reveal more about what Mantis can do, and could even factor in Mantis' healing powers — so far only seen in one of the most discussed Avengers: Infinity War deleted scenes. In the aftermath of Thanos using the Space Stone to smash a planet into Titan, an unconscious Quill, Drax, Nebula, and Mantis fly into space but are caught by Spider-Man. On the ground, Spider-Man encourages Mantis to help her fellow Guardians, revealing Mantis' healing abilities. Forcing Quill, Nebula and Drax to regain consciousness, the Avengers: Infinity War deleted scene shows that Mantis allowed the heroes to survive Thanos’ attack, even though they are later turned to dust by the Titan’s master plan. As the team faces new dangers in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the full extent of Mantis' MCU powers could be unleashed in the third and final Guardians movie.

Infinity War Cut Mantis' Healing Powers

Pom Klementieff as Mantis in Avengers Infinity War Cropped Poster

With unfinished special effects, it is difficult to believe that this deleted scene ever would have made it into the Avengers: Infinity War final cut, though it does provide some much-needed interaction between Spider-Man and his fellow teammates prior to Peter Parker and Tony Stark's Infinity War moment. After going out of his way to save the Guardians’ bodies floating into space, the final Infinity War cut does not go back to Spider-Man and the Guardians of the Galaxy, nor showed how they regained consciousness. The absence of these elements isn't to Infinity War’s detriment in the grand scheme of things, though the deleted scene does provide an informative insert, not only showing more of Mantis' MCU powers but also explaining how the Guardians got back on their feet for a last push against Thanos.

Mantis' Showed New Powers In The Holiday Special

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Notably, the Guardians' brief appearance in Thor: Love and Thunder didn't reveal any more about Mantis' powers, but The Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special - MCU Phase 4's final feature - confirmed a crucial theory that's been circulating online for years: that Mantis is Star-Lord's sister in the MCU. While Mantis' jumping ability is impressive, Mantis being Ego's daughter is a much more important reveal, as this opens the doors for the MCU to reintroduce her healing powers from the Avengers: Infinity War deleted scene. Moreover, MCU Phase 5 could even explore Mantis' astral projection and cloaking abilities from the comics.

The Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special wasn't just a pleasant surprise for viewers, but it had wider ramifications for the MCU than anybody expected. Based on its updates to Mantis' MCU powers and history, she could become the most powerful member of the team in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. In fact, many of the non-original Guardians members seem to be gaining some much-needed power-ups in the ongoing Multiverse Saga. Groot has matured considerably and looks much stronger than in his previous appearance, Kraglin seems ready to get Yondu's arrow up-and-running in MCU Phase 5, and Rocket was gifted Bucky's vibranium arm by Nebula for Christmas in one of The Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special's best callbacks to Avengers: Infinity War. Now it's known that both Star-Lord and Mantis are the children of a celestial, it certainly seems that Adam Warlock will have his work cut out for him in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

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