The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always expanding, thanks to new projects hitting theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. But moviegoers who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order know that certain franchises are fan favorites, chief among them being James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy. Karen Gillan spent years playing Nebula, but recalled she didn't expect to actually land the gig (and shave her head) until the very end.
While the Guardians aren't expected to appear in any upcoming Marvel movies, I'm holding out hope that we'll see more of Nebula after Vol. 3.'s ending. In a recent conversation with Basic Magazine, Gillan spoke about not thinking she'd land the role of Nebula initially. She shared:
To be honest, when I got the call from my agents about auditioning for that Marvel role, the first question they asked me was, ‘Are you willing to shave your head?’ The director was not open to casting anyone who wasn’t going to shave their head for the role. He didn’t like bald caps. I agree, they don’t look quite as realistic. He wanted someone fully committed. Of course I’ll shave my head for Marvel. If there’s one thing you’d do it for, it’s that! Also, I didn’t really think I was going to get it. They were seeing everyone from all over the world.
While it's hard to imagine anyone else playing the Blue Meanie at this point, it wouldn't be surprising if Marvel cast a large net when finding the Guardians of the Galaxy cast. As such, Karen Gillan didn't think too much about the request to shave her head if she landed the role of Nebula. Alas, that's exactly what ended up happening.
While Karen Gillan has cut her hair for movies like Guardians 3, James Gunn's first movie required her to completely shave her head. This was a huge commitment, with hardcore fans remembering her taking off her red wig at Comic-Con to reveal the bald look. Later in the same interview, the Doctor Who alum revealed how things changed as she was cast as Nebula. In her words:
As the process went on, I started realizing, I really am going to do this. Finally, I was face-to-face with that electric shaver. It was an incredible experience. I’d always been defined by my red hair. My whole life, that was how people described me. It was my identity, what separated me from others. To shed that was both scary and liberating. I did have a hard time, because I felt less feminine. I’m so tall that people would mistake me for a man from behind. That’s fine—unless you’re single and dating. Otherwise, it was such a cool experience. I wouldn’t change any of it, and I’m so much more appreciative of my locks now.
This sounds like a surprisingly profound experience for Gillan. As she said, her red locks had previously defined her as a performer and person. But that changed when she went bald to film Guardians of the Galaxy, and suddenly loss that identity, as well as some of her femininity. One can only imagine how much that influenced her performance as Nebula... especially since she was an antagonist in Vol. 1.
Nebula is one of my favorite Marvel characters, and I'm hoping she eventually returns to the role in live-action. The end of Guardians 3 saw everyone get a happy ending, with Nebula and Drax staying on Knowhere to raise the kids they saved from the High Evolutionary. While Star-Lord is expected to pop back up, the same can't be said for the rest of the team.
The Guardians of the Galaxy franchise is streaming in its entirety on the MCU. The next MCU movie hitting theaters is Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31st as part of the 2026 movie release list. Fingers crossed we get more of Gillan's signature character sometime in the future.
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