Marvel Studios has employed dozens of actors over the years and frequently transforms them into A-List action leads. Look no further than Chris Pratt, who pre-Marvel formerly played schlubby doofs and is now one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Scarlett Johansson similarly used her time as Black Widow to transform herself into a bonafide (and very bankable) action star. Karen Gillan, however, still gets surprised that people keep hiring her to kick butt. During the set visit to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Gillan opened up to CinemaBlend about how she used to think she was too clumsy for action movies.
I don't know why I keep on getting cast in roles where I have to do so many action sequences. Because honestly, I've got two left feet and I look like a piece of spaghetti trying to fight people. But it keeps on happening, and I feel like I'm getting better with each film that I do that involves this sort of stuff. But I mean, I really enjoy it. I enjoy doing it. And then my stunt double makes me look much cooler than I could manage to make myself look.
Karen Gillam had plenty of experience in sci-fi thanks her time on Doctor Who, but she arguably didn't break out into the mainstream until Guardians of the Galaxy. She plays Nebula, the cybernetic and blue-skinned daughter of Thanos, trained by her "father" to be one of the galaxies deadliest fighters. That role seems to have unlocked some doors for Gillan, who will next be appearing in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle as Ruby Roundhouse, a character who is quite literally designed to kick all the butts. Gillan told CinemaBlend that she didn't really imagine she'd be doing so many action movies in her career, claiming that she has two left feet. However, she really likes doing it and thinks she's getting better each time.
Judging from what've we've seen in trailers thus far, Karen Gillan seems to take the action in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle really naturally. I mean, if you can stand next to the Rock as an equal in action then you deserve a hell of a lot of praise -- even if there's a stunt double helping out with the bigger sequences. Let's hope that Gillan takes any action lessons she learned on Jumanji 2 and applies them to her role in Avengers: Infinity War.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is sort of a spiritual sequel to 1995's Jumanji, and that takes four teenagers and transports them into a jungle-themed video game. The teens become the avatars they chose, gaining their appearances, unique skill sets and weaknesses, and must find a way to escape the game in one piece. The film stars Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, and Nick Jonas.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is set to hit theaters on December 20, 2017.
