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The Avengers franchise paved the way for a more obscure property like The Guardians of the Galaxy to exist. So when it was announced the Guardians would be joining Avengers: Infinity War, it left some fans scratching their heads. The biggest question was: how were the Guardians brand going to fit into the Avengers’ world? Even Nebula actress Karen Gillan was concerned about the two worlds coming together. While things worked out, the MCU star admitted it wasn’t all that smooth at first. Gillan explained why the Guardians joining the Avengers was a little bit nerve-wracking.
From a glance, the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy share the idea of a rag-tag team of heroes coming together. But the Avengers were the high-achieving big cousin while the Guardians were seen as the black sheep. That’s why both groups working together seemed like a mismatch to Karen Gillan. When it came to the Guardians joining Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, the Gunpowder Milkshake star said about the experience:
I think we all, in the Guardians cast, were like, ‘Ah! Oh my gosh, we’re going off and we’re gonna do this character without James. How are we gonna cope? Are we gonna still know how to do this?’ But the Russos were amazing, and they kind of just really allowed us to bring our knowledge of the characters to it. They were so receptive to it. I would sort of be able to say to the Russos, ‘I feel like [if] Thanos is in the scene, Nebula would be feeling very emotional right now if her father is there.’ And they’re like, ‘Yup. Yup,’ and then they completely used that, and it’s completely in the movie, which was really nice.
Karen Gillan’s words spoke to the loyalty she and her co-stars have for James Gunn’s vision. Luckily, the Russo brothers were just as faithful to the MCU characters as Gunn within the cinematic universe. Thankfully the directing-writing duo is well known for collaborating with actors – both inside and outside of the MCU. In the end, the Russos stayed true to the Guardians of the Galaxy director’s characterization. But Gillan had more to talk about her differing experiences across the MCU.
Marvel fans can re-watch the Guardians' journey in the MCU so far on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.
The MCU star spilled more about her different experiences with directors across Marvel films. Karen Gillan told the Collider Ladies Night podcast that Joe Russo was an excellent scene partner while shooting the final Avenger films. She revealed Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi allowed her to tap into the chaotic side of Nebula in the upcoming film.
Learning more about Karen Gillan’s MCU experience gave fans a peek into the Marvel Studios machine. Fans will have to wait until May 6, 2022 to see a chaotic Nebula in Thor: Love and Thunder. Until then, you can stream Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.1 and Vol. 2 and the final Avengers films on Disney+.
