Karen Gillan, the TV icon who’s been in the business forever, faced a major challenge in 2014 when she crossed paths with Lupita Nyong’o, the talented actress with a Yale education, an Academy Award on her shelf, and a blend of Kenyan and Mexican roots. It was a showdown to remember!
But, when it comes to Gillan, she totally rocked it as Nebula in the MCU, becoming a super popular name and an instant fave among fans. It’s hard to picture anyone else owning the role of Thanos’ badass daughter with that same cool, calculated, and slightly sociopathic vibe like the Scottish actress.
Luckily, James Gunn was totally aware of that and took the actresses on a whole new journey, completely different from what they had expected for themselves ten years later.
Lupita Nyong’o was inches away from getting the part of Nebula!
In MCU’s Phase II era, when the director James Gunn wasn’t exactly a household name, he was cooking up a three-part rollercoaster ride with a supercharged, swearin’ raccoon and his ragtag fam. And in the midst of it all, they needed the perfect fit to play a key character in Marvel’s massive Infinity Saga climax: Nebula, Thanos’ other daughter.
While Zoe Saldaña was destined to be the iconic Gamora, the battle for Nebula was fierce. Karen Gillan, the Doctor Who star, and Lupita Nyong’o, the phenomenal actress who wowed everyone in 12 Years a Slave and scored an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, were both in the running. And get this, Lupita even auditioned for Nebula in the same year her debut film was lighting up the theaters!
Even though she won an Oscar, Lupita Nyong’o didn’t get the Nebula part because Sarah Halley Finn, the casting boss of Marvel, had some other vision for her. But here’s the plot twist: Four years later, Lupita nails the role of Nakia without even having to audition!
Finn later recalled to The Hollywood Reporter, “She was a straight offer. She had been on our radar for a long, long time, and is an incredible, exceptional talent”. Apparently, Finn had her eye on the actress even before the latter’s big-screen debut in 12 Years a Slave.
