James Gunn has made no secret of the fact he’s planning to cast all his Guardians of the Galaxy friends in the DCU eventually, but it looks like one will be appearing in Marvel’s rival franchise pretty much instantly. Mantis star Pom Klementieff has gone ahead and admitted that she’s already in talks with the DC Studios co-CEO to play “one specific character” in Gunn’s rebooted universe.
Klementieff explained to Variety that she and Gunn have had “conversations and we’re making plans already,” confirming that arrangements for her to join DC are “in progress.” One thing she wouldn’t be drawn on, though, was the exact nature of her character, other than to state that she was already familiar with them and that she thinks they’re “f***ing cool.”
In some ways that doesn’t give us much to go on, but in others, it helps narrow down the field considerably. It’s time to do our best Batman impressions, then, and play detective as we theorize who Pom Klementieff could be gearing up to embody in the DCU.
10. Lois Lane
Right off the bat, let’s go with the most important female role Gunn will be looking to cast right now: the First Lady of DC herself, Lois Lane. Superman: Legacy is now in pre-production with casting about to begin, so it adds up that Klementieff would already be discussing a DC switchover with Gunn if he wanted her for Lois. The only thing is the actress is 36 whereas the new Superman is believed to be around 25.
9. Katana
Katana is already familiar to DC movie viewers, thanks to her infamously underwritten role in 2016’s Suicide Squad (which spawned one of the fandom’s favorite copypastas). However, Klementieff would be the perfect person to bring her to life if Gunn wanted to reboot the character. Although, honestly, I don’t see what would be so wrong in letting The Boys‘ Karen Fukuhara give it another shot.
8. Zatanna
Yes, Katana and Zatanna are totally different characters. DC’s supreme sorceress is one fans have been dying to see enter the DC big-screen universe forever, so her inclusion should be right at the top of Gunn’s list. Klementieff might be a left-field choice for the part, but it’s easy to imagine her bringing a unique energy to the role. Plus, Zatanna is famous enough to be someone Klementieff has heard of before.
7. Jayna
On the other hand, Jayna of the Wonder Twins is not exactly up there with the most famous or most badass DC heroines, but Klemtentieff’s endearingly innocent portrayal of Mantis instantly makes her a fun fit for Jayna, a character who first appeared in Super Friends back in the day. Isabel May was originally set to play the role opposite KJ Apa’s Zan in a Wonder Twins film before WB canned it. But Gunn could always bring the project back with different actors.
6. Livewire
Something tells me, however, that after playing a Marvel heroine, Klementieff will join DC as a villain. How about Livewire, then, the electrifying antagonist who’s already made a big impact on the TV world thanks to recurring appearances in Superman: The Animated Series, Smallville, and Supergirl. She probably wouldn’t be the main villain, but she could always be a supporting foe in Superman: Legacy.
5. Cheshire
One hero DC fans are desperate to see get the cinematic treatment is Green Arrow, so if Gunn is secretly developing a project for Oliver Queen there could be room for Cheshire, the expert assassin who’s often a rival/love interest for his sidekick Roy Harper/Speedy. As one of the most skilled martial artists in the entire DC universe, she definitely warrants Klementieff’s effusive expletive-filled description of her potential DC character.
4. Punchline
Of course, Klementieff is already set to play a villain in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, which sees her don clown-like makeup. Naturally, this has got fans wondering if she could repeat the trick in the DCU and portray Punchline, Joker’s latest girlfriend after Harley Quinn, who is much deadlier in a fight than Harls thanks to her expertise with wielding knives. Move over Lady Gaga, maybe Klementieff could be the next Joker love interest to watch.
3. Hawkgirl
We’ve got no idea if Gunn is going to do anything with Black Adam‘s Justice Society or not (although they were mentioned in Shazam 2), but if he does, then Aldis Hodge’s Hawkman definitely needs to be paired up with Hawkgirl in his next appearance. The immortally entwined lovers are rarely seen without the other, plus Hawkgirl has her own fanbase thanks to her prominent role in the Justice League animated series.
2. Lady Shiva
In addition to Superman: Legacy, Gunn is also developing The Brave and the Bold, which will introduce Bruce Wayne’s son Damian to cinema-going audiences. If Klementieff is up for this one, she could theoretically be in talks for Talia al Ghul, Damian’s mother, but actually she’d be a better fit for Lady Shiva, one of the deadliest assassins in the al Ghul family’s League of Assassins/Shadows organization.
1. Mercy Graves
Honestly, though, the likelihood is that Klementieff is circling a role in Superman: Legacy, given that casting is already underway. Out of the many potential characters for this film, then, the one who hops out as a perfect fit for the actress is Mercy Graves, the right-hand woman of Lex Luthor. Tao Okamoto already brought her to life in Batman v Superman, but she was disappointingly wasted. With Clark Kent’s nemesis no doubt due to be rebooted alongside him, Mercy’s time to shine may be around the corner, and I can’t think of anyone better than Klementieff to do her justice.