The infamous snap that concluded Avengers: Infinity War came as a shock not just for the film’s audiences, but also for the cast members, some of whom were only told of their character’s fate on the day that their dusting sequence was shot.
There were, however, some stars who were privy to the details early on. As one of the co-writers of Ant-Man and the Wasp, Paul Rudd, for instance, was informed beforehand about the Decimation. And in an interview with Empire, Karen Gillan revealed that she also found out early that Nebula was among the snap’s lucky survivors:
“I probably found out quite early on – before the shooting of the first, maybe, because of scheduling stuff. I was really excited. I definitely want Nebula to have the cathartic experience she deserves with her father.”
In an interview last year with People, Gillan revealed that her character will “confront some serious daddy issues” in next month’s sequel, suggesting that her tense history with Thanos will be coming to a head with Endgame. But while this particular plot thread may soon be resolved, the fact that Gillan has already looked at the script for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 suggests that Nebula’s story will continue in future outings. If Endgame were to be her final MCU film, however, Gillan tells Empire that she’d be sad to part ways with the character:
“I think I would be really sad to say goodbye. I’ve loved her from the moment I auditioned for her. She’s evolved from a villain to someone we’ve developed empathy towards. I think she’s going to be a character we’re all rooting for.”
Though it’s unclear where Nebula’s story is headed in next month’s release, the actress has previously mentioned that she’ll have a surprising new “BFF” in the movie, and going by the first Endgame trailer, Tony Stark remains the internet’s most popular guess for who this unlikely companion might be.
That being said, the latest trailer also has Nebula sharing the screen with several more of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, and some Avengers: Endgame footage that recently screened to Disney shareholders reportedly showed her interacting with Captain Marvel. We’ll find out what else is in store for Gillan’s character when the Avengers: Infinity War sequel hits theaters on April 26th.