Who Is Nathan Fillion in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’?

Drew Dietsch
Movies Marvel
Movies Marvel

Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn is good buddies with fan-favorite actor Nathan Fillion, dating all the way back to Gunn’s directorial debut Slither (which you should absolutely watch). Fillion made an appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy as the monstrous inmate that Groot nasally dispatched, but news today has him in a much more prominent role… as far as the Marvel canon of characters is concerned.

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Fillion will be playing Wonder Man, or more appropriately his alter ego Simon Williams. This was revealed thanks to some photos from the Atlanta set. Williams is a film actor and these pics show him in some phony movie posters for things like a Tony Stark biopic and a sequel to the classic silent film Haxan. There’s even a Toxic Avenger spoof harkening back to Gunn’s days with the gonzo Troma Films.

There’s no confirmation on how much we’ll get to see of Fillion, but if his appearances in most of Gunn’s films are any indication, it will probably be a lighthearted cameo at best. Still, it’s cool to see Fillion officially welcomed into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a substantial character, and hopefully this sows the seeds of him appearing in other ventures.

Do these photos confirm that the Guardians will be heading to Earth at some point in the sequel? Star-Lord is confirmed to appear in Avengers: Infinity War, so it looks like Peter Quill will return to his home planet sooner rather than later. We know we’ll be learning the identity of Quill’s father (played by Kurt Russell), so it’s safe to say that Gunn and crew aren’t resting on their laurels when it comes to the sequel’s story. Big changes are in store for the team, and I for one cannot wait to see what they entail.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 opens on May 5, 2017. That seems frustratingly far away right now.

Drew Dietsch
Drew Dietsch has been professionally writing about entertainment for over a decade. His bylines include FANDOM - where he was a founding contributor and Entertainment Editor - Bloody Disgusting, SYFY WIRE, and more. He created and hosts GenreVision, a weekly film discussion show at genrevision.com.