Actor Karen Gillan currently stars in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Nebula, one of the key players in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. However, Gillan has now revealed that her aspirations go beyond on-screen appearances, and that her dream is to someday direct film for Marvel Studios.
"I keep asking [Marvel Studios president] Kevin Feige when that's going to be. I'm still waiting." Gillan admitted on Variety's The Big Ticket podcast. That being said, she also clarified she "wouldn't just do any film."
"I think it would need to be one where I had a strong feeling that I was the best person for the job," Gillan explained. "Obviously, that's not every movie that comes your way."
Gillan first appeared as Nebula in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, a role she subsequently reprised in 2017's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, 2018's Avengers: Infinity War and, most recently, Avengers: Endgame.
In addition to being a seasoned on-screen performer, Gillan has had prior experience directing. She wrote, directed and executive produced the 2015 short film Coward, as well as wrote and directed her segment in that year's Fun Size Horror: Volume Two and the 2019 short film The Hoarding. Gillan made her feature-length writing and directorial debut with 2018's The Party's Just Beginning, in which she starred alongside fellow Guardians of the Galaxy actor Lee Pace.
Written and directed by James Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 does not currently have a release date. The film is reportedly scheduled to begin production in February 2021.