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Karen Gillan As Nebula Gets Bigger Role And More Merchandise In ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2’

By Susan Macdonald
Published on: 05:28 PST, Jun 22, 2016

Scottish actress Karen Gillan, best known for playing Amy Pond on Dr. Who, is reprising her role as the blue-skinned alien Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Ms. Gillan will be having a larger role in this movie, according to BBC News. Not only is Karen Gillan to have a bigger role in the sequel, but the Radio Times suggested that the villainous Nebula might become a heroine, joining her sister Gamora and the other Guardians in fighting their evil father, the mad Titan, Thanos.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 finished filming on June 16 and is now in post-production. The movie is tentatively scheduled to open in theaters May 5, 2017. Marvel released the following official synopsis:

“Set to the backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the team’s adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid as the Marvel cinematic universe continues to expand.”

The phrase “old foes become new allies” has led many to speculate that Nebula, played by Karen Gillan, may be changing sides and joining the Guardians of the Galaxy. Ronan the Accuser and his lieutenant Korath did not survive the first movie. Both Yondu’s Ravagers and the Nova Corps wound up allying with the Guardians. Thanos is unlikely to change sides, as he is predicted to be the main villain in the upcoming Infinity Wars movies. That leaves Karen Gillan as Nebula as a foe who might become an ally. Given that scriptwriter/director James Gunn has already said Nebula has a larger role in the sequel, having Gillan’s Nebula join the Guardians would be plausible.

Karen Gillan told Comic Book Resources that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will explore the relationship between Thanos’ two adopted daughters, Nebula and Gamora.

“I think what I’m really excited about it delving into the sisterly relationship between Gamora and Nebula. I think that we’re going to see a little bit more of that, and it’s going to be a bit more fleshed out.”

Zoe Saldana and Karen Gillan play sisters and rivals in Guardians of the Galaxy.
Zoe Saldana (Gamora) and Karen Gillan (Nebula) [Photo by Anthony Harvey/Getty Images]

In good news for collectors and parents, scriptwriter/director James Gunn has promised that there will be more merchandise based on Karen Gillan’s Nebula, Zoe Saldana’s Gamora, Pom Klementieff’s Mantis, and Elizabeth Debicki’s character, rumored but not confirmed to be named Ayesha.

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will have Mantis, Nebula, Gamora and Elizabeth Debicki’s character as part of the fray, and we’re committed to making sure they’re included in more toys and merch than the last go round.”

Lack of respect for female characters has been a problem for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Disney. As the Inquisitr has pointed out previously, Hollywood shows little interest in supporting female fans. When the original Guardians of the Galaxy movie came out, Twitter was filled with the hashtag #WheresGamora, just as the first Avengers movie had fans asking #WheresBlackWidow due to the difficulty of finding merchandise based on female characters. Finding T-shirts, notebooks, and toys based on Star-Lord, Drax, Rocket, and Groot was easy. Finding merchandise based on Gamora was difficult. Business Insider discussed the Guardians T-shirt that showed the whole team except for Gamora and parents’ reactions to it.

The same thing happened with Black Widow and Scarlet Witch in the Avengers movies and Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Mark Ruffalo complained about the difficulty of finding toys for his daughters and nieces.

Marvel seems to be learning from their mistakes. Black Widow toys and T-shirts are now available at the Disney Store. Build-a-Bear has a Black Widow Bear. And now, BBC News reports that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will have more merchandise based on Karen Gillan’s Nebula and other female characters.

Are you looking forward to seeing Karen Gillan as Nebula next May? Tell us your opinions in our comments section.

[Photo by Anthony Harvey/Getty Images]

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