Karen Gillan's One Wish For Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 - Exclusive

Karen Gillan knows her way around science fiction. Her big breakout role was Amy Pond, the 11th Doctor's companion for two-and-a-half seasons of the classic BBC time travel series "Doctor Who." As Nebula in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, starting in "Guardians of the Galaxy" and continuing through its sequel and the "Avengers: Infinity War"/"Endgame" duology, she carried one of the franchise's most compelling character arcs, from tragic villain to universe-saving hero. In both "Doctor Who" and "Avengers: Endgame," Gillan has proven particularly talented at playing multiple versions of her characters — a skill put to great use in the new film "Dual," where she plays a woman and her clone forced to fight to the death.

Gillan is set to return as Nebula in multiple future Marvel movies, including "Thor: Love and Thunder" and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," as well as "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" coming to Disney+. Speaking exclusively with Looper for the premiere of "Dual" at the Sundance Film Festival, Gillan was able to reveal some details about Nebula's future in the MCU and what she's hoping people will get out the character's journey.

When asked about the upcoming "Guardians of the Galaxy" projects, Gillan joked, "I probably have about four Marvel snipers on me right now." Given how tightly guarded the specifics of future MCU projects are, Gillan was obviously limited in what she could discuss, but was able to talk a bit about where Nebula is currently at in her story arc: "Her father's dead, who was Thanos, the worst man ever. Now, she gets to start to live her life without the presence of the source of her childhood abuse, essentially."

Gillan humorously followed up this statement by saying, "I just made the Marvel universe really heavy," but it's clear these heavier themes are compelling her in a franchise more commonly associated with comedic quips and big explosions. Her big wish is that audiences will find this story of recovering from abuse as compelling as she does, saying, "It's really interesting to explore her life beyond Thanos, and I think it'll be interesting. It's interesting for me. Hopefully, it's interesting to watch."

Nebula will next be seen on-screen in "Thor: Love and Thunder," in theaters July 8, 2022. The "Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" comes to Disney+ in December 2022, while "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" comes to theaters May 5, 2023. RJLE Films will release "Dual" in theaters later in 2022.