Even before the release of 'Guardians of the Galaxy,' Marvel as well as their producers have given the nod for another installment of the series. While most of the cast will be reprising their roles, director James Gunn recently confirmed that the main antagonist of the original film will not return in the sequel.

According to Christian Today, recently Gunn held a Q&A on his Facebook page wherein there was one question about whether the Lee Pace's character will be seen in the sequel too. It seems that, many fans like the character. Nevertheless, Gunn dashed their hopes when he confirmed that Ronan will not be featuring in "Guardians of the Galaxy 2."

Despite the fact that Ronan was killed in the last scene of 'Guardians of the Galaxy,' the director did not completely rule out the chances of the villain reappearing in the sequel. He has hinted the possibility of Ronan making a return in future films. After all, Marvel can always think of various means to bring back dead characters to life.

Nevertheless, in case Ronan is not going to reappear in 'Guardians of the Galaxy 2,' it suggests that there will be a new villain in the upcoming film. However, Marvel has yet to announce the name of the actor who will play the role of the new villain in the sequel. It is rumored that like Ronan, Nebula (Karen Gillan) may also return in any future film. However, Gunn did not specify when this will happen.

As of now, it is expected that Yondu (Michael Rooker) and the Ravagers will also feature in the second film. Groot, a favorite of the fans who has just one dialogue, but is a key character in 'Guardians of the Galaxy,' will also be back in the sequel. However, as of now, no one is certain if the sprout is actually Groot - it may also turn out to be Groot's son. In addition, it is also reported that Peter Quill's father will have a significant role in the upcoming movie.

While Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana are certain to reprise their roles in the sequel along with Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper will be lending their voices for their characters they did in the original film.

'Guardians of the Galaxy 2' will hit the theaters on May 5, 2017.