Guardians of the Galaxy 2 release date, plot updates: James Gunn confirms that Infinity Stones will be absent in the movie

Rumors that the sequel to the 2014 hit "Guardians of the Galaxy" will have the appearance of one of the final Infinity Stones and the return of Thanos (Josh Brolin) have been floating around, but director James Gunn has confirmed that the Infinity Stones will not play a part in the sequel.

The director took some time to reply to a few fan questions, and he simply said that "There will be no Infinity Stones in Vol. 2." Instead, the villain in the much-awaited sequel will reportedly be Ayesha, also known as Her, who will be played by Elizabeth Debicki.

Her is an interesting choice for a villain since she is closely tied to the creation of Him. Him is more popularly known as Adam Warlock, the one who went head-to-head with Thanos during the Infinity Gauntlet comic book storyline. Adam Warlock's involvement has even been teased way before "Guardians of the Galaxy." His "cocoon" was present during the mid-credits scene of "Thor: The Dark World," and fans were expecting an appearance from him in "Guardians of the Galaxy" (but instead, fans met Howard the Duck).

Even if Thanos will not be making an appearance in the sequel, the presence of Adam Warlock is definitely another set-up for what's to come in "Avengers: Infinity War."

Among other characters, the comic's Mantis will also be appearing in the movie, and she will be played by Pom Klementieff. It is revealed that Mantis has not made any contact with any other beings except Ego, the Living Planet (Kurt Russell). Though some may consider it a spoiler, Ego is also Star-Lord's father, and a big part of the movie is trying to figure out why he went to Earth and fathered a boy.

Fans are eagerly waiting for "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" which is set to premiere in May 2017.