‘Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2’ Star Zoe Saldana On Nebula: ‘She’s Just Resentful And Bitter’

While new concept art for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 introduces the new character of Mantis, actress Zoe Saldana opens up about her own character, Gamora. Saldana says the Guardians of the Galaxy sequel will provide more insight into the family from which Gamora and Nebula have come, including how the characters came to be in the circumstances in which would ultimately enable her to team up with the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Zoe reveals how her character and that of Nebula have been affected by their home life with the powerful and vindictive Thanos.

Zoe Saldana Delivers Fresh Insight On Nebula and Being Raised By A Powerful Conquerer

Ms. Saldana says that Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 will begin to give a greater look into Gamora’s family and at what it must have been like for the character to have been the step-daughter of a great conqueror. Zoe tells Comicbook that the new film will explore those familial bonds, hinting that the plot will, at least in some part, having Nebula and Gamora again crossing paths with Thanos.

“You’ll begin to get a glimpse of how terrible life must have been like to grow up with a crazy stepfather through Nebula,” said Saldana. “Nebula is still in that teen-y, f*****g hateful s**t. She’s just resentful and bitter.”

In that respect, Saldana says Nebula and Gamora vary greatly. Where Nebula is filled with anger over the way in which Thanos treated her, Gamora has moved past that and is focusing on her own personal redemption. The conflicting nature between the two siblings will serve to cause greater friction between the siblings and may set the two characters in opposing positions, suggests the Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 actress.

“Gamora, everything she does is trying to gain redemption for what she’d done before,” says Ms. Saldana. “That’s where you’re going to find her and then, obviously, their relationship is very volatile.”

No matter how they feel about each other in Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, Nebula and Gamora aren’t at odds in the way that they feel about Thanos.

“We’re starting somewhere very crazy but appropriate given where we had ended things off in the first installment. So Thanos is definitely spoken about – not highly,” adds Zoe Saldana with a laugh.

Guardians Of The Galaxy, Vol. 2 Concept Art Introduces Mantis

New concept art for the Guardians of the Galaxy sequel shows Drax, Groot, Yondu, Star-Lord, Rocket, Nebula, and Gamora, but Entertainment Weekly reveals that the teaser poster also features a brand new character, Mantis. Played by Pom Klementieff, Mantis is very awkward when it comes to interacting with others in social settings, reveals the Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 executive producer, Jonathan Schwartz.

“Everything she learns about dealing with people, she learns from the Guardians of the Galaxy, which is a very weird group to learn your social intricacies from.”

Mantis won’t be the only new addition to Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2. Schwartz hints that the sapling grown from the remains of Groot in the first film may not exactly be a reincarnation of the former character. Instead, the upcoming film may be introducing this next Groot as something entirely different.

“He doesn’t have the wisdom and experience of that Groot,” Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2‘s Schwartz says. “He’s a younger Groot and a more rambunctious Groot. The question is, is he the same Groot, just smaller? Or is he a different Groot that’s sprung up from the seed of the first Groot?”

Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, which stars Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana, is expected to debut in theaters on May 5, 2017.

[Image by David Becker/Getty Images for LARAS]