Karen Gillan Begins Nebula Prep for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

It may be a few months before James Gunn gets to work on principal photography of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but pre-production work is well underway, and a new video and images of Karen Gillan undergoing face casting work for her role as Nebula is a strong reminder that the job of an actor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe doesn’t just start and end with filming. The actress shared a series of shots on her Instagram account and a video of the process as he had molds applied to her face and torso in readiness for her prosthetics to be created when the time comes.

Karen Gillan is preparing to play Nebula in ‘GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 3’ ????????

(via karengillan | IG) pic.twitter.com/QP6Xb3uFz8

— cosmic (@cosmic_marvel) June 26, 2021

While it was a given we would see Karen Gillan back in her semi-robotic role in the new Guardians movie, that couldn’t have been said a few years ago, as according to the actress herself the original plan was for Nebula to die in the first Guardians film back in 2014. So far she has appeared in two Guardians movies, Avengers Infinity War and Endgame, and is set to feature in the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder and of course the third installment of the Guardians series.

In a previous interview, she said, “”When I signed on to Nebula, it was eight days of filming and she was supposed to die in the first Guardians film. So to go on and be able to evolve the character and then have her be this pivotal role in Endgame was amazing. I didn’t see it coming at all.”

She continued to discuss the production of the newest Guardians film, and commented that the script is probably the best of the solo Guardians movies so far. “I’ve read Vol. 3 and I think it’s the best of the trilogy. I know that we’re all really excited to have James Gunn back as our fearless leader. So we’re all just really looking forward to getting back together.”

While many believe that actors simply come and go as filming demands, Gillan’s photos prove that even months before they ever step in front of a camera, the preparation work to be part of the magic of a Marvel movie is long-reaching and not exactly a walk in the park. When the production finally arrives, the prosthetics being created now will take hours of painstaking work by behind the scenes artists to apply to the actress before every shoot. While it may seem like a chore, her preparation work is not as strenuous as some of her colleagues.

If you remember a couple of months ago we were constantly seeing new images of Natalie Portman, who had been undergoing intense training for her upcoming role in Thor: Love and Thunder, just like her co-star Chris Hemsworth. When it comes to getting everything just right on screen, it cannot be said that the Marvel Studios team let anyone down in the detail and care that is put into producing the best cinematic experience they can. With Gillan and Co clearly already well underway to returning to their Guardian’s roles, it is just one more small step up the hype ladder we go as we await the movie arriving in a couple of years’ time.

Topics: Guardians of the Galaxy 3