Anyone with knowledge of Marvel’s slate of upcoming films knows that the roster of characters that inhabit the Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to grow exponentially. Never mind the new additions that will be making their cinematic debuts in The Avengers: Age of Ultron, the slate of Phase 3 films is full of fresh faces like Black Panther, Captain Marvel, and The Inhumans.

Still, Joss Whedon’s sequel will serve as the first step of this universe expansion, and it certainly has a full plate. In addition to continuing the story for the established heroes from the 2012 smash hit, audiences will get to see how elements like Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Vision, and the nation of Wakanda will play into the larger proceedings; and if a new report is to be believed, the film will have something that ties the whole franchise together.

Schmoes Know, citing the same source that revealed who Andy Serkis will be playing in Avengers 2, is reporting the character of Mantis will be making an appearance, with her inclusion serving as a connective tissue between the Earthbound Avengers team and the cosmic side of the MCU that was introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy.

Given that this is the first time we’ve heard of Mantis’ potential role in the film, it’s important to take this with a heavy grain of salt. That said, it does make sense when you step back and think about it. In the comics, Mantis has several ties to characters who have already been introduced in the MCU (including Quicksilver, Vision, and Thanos) and also served as a member of the Guardians team for a period of time.

Still, this is far from a done deal. Schmoes themselves admit that their source is not 100% certain that the character will appear, and that the source is only relaying that the name Mantis is one that those working on Age of Ultron are hearing “over and over again.” If that’s the case, then she very well could appear, even if it is only in a cameo part toward the end of the film (end credits button?).

Ever since Guardians broke box office records last August, the prevailing belief has been that Marvel is building up toward a massive crossover event that will see the Guardians and the Avengers unite against a common foe (most likely Thanos). With that in mind, one could see why Marvel would want to establish connections between the various corners of their universe, and a character that has as many associations as Mantis does would be an effective way of doing that.

At the same time, it’s justifiable to wonder if a minor character like that is necessary for the overall big picture. Marvel has arguably already established strong ties between the Earth and the cosmic by way of the Infinity Stones and Thanos’ bit part in Guardians. Once the Mad Titan does come to our planet, that will be enough to convince Star-Lord to go back home in an effort to stop him, and most casual audiences would be able to buy into that without any additional Easter eggs.

Again, this is strictly a rumor that may not lead to anything at all. From a certain point of view, adding Mantis to the proceedings does make sense, but Marvel already has a full plate with their ambitious slate of upcoming films and they may feel like they’ll be tossing enough new stuff at viewers for the next few years. This is a case where we’ll have to wait and see.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron will be in theaters May 1, 2015.