Right before the first "Guardians of the Galaxy" film was shown, an installment of the movie already got the green light from Marvel and the producers. However, director James Gunn confirmed that Ronan, the main villain in the first film, will not be returning, not in the sequel anyway. 

Gunn recently held a Q&A in his Facebook page. One of the questions raised is whether Lee Pace's character will reappear in the follow-up film. Apparently, a lot of fans like the character. However, Gunn squashed the hopes of waiting fans when he said that Ronan will be absent in "Guardians of the Galaxy 2."

Ronan was killed in the last scene of the first film, but the director has not entirely closed the doors on the villain. There might still be a possibility of his comeback in future films. Marvel can, after all, think of ways on how to bring back dead characters to life. 

Meanwhile, if Ronan is already out of the picture, this means that the upcoming film will get a new villain. Marvel still has not revealed who will be the new antagonist in the second film. Just like Ronan, Nebula (Karen Gillan) might also be back in a future film, although Gunn did not specify when. 

Yondu (played by Michael Rooker) and the Ravagers will reportedly make a comeback in the second film. Fan favorite Groot, who has one dialogue yet a significant character in the first film, will be returning in the sequel. But no one is sure if the sprout is actually Groot — it could be Groot's son. Moreover, Peter Quill's father will reportedly play a significant role in the next film. 

Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana will surely reprise their roles in the film along with Dave Bautista, while Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper will lend their voices for their previous characters. 

The first "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie was a huge success and has become the third highest grossing film of Marvel. "Guardians of the Galaxy 2" will premiere May 5, 2017.