Forget about the “M” word. While attending New York Comic-Con, the crowd had the pleasure of seeing Chris Evans, star of Captain America, along with the Guardians of the Galaxy cast including Karen Gillan, Chukwudi Iwuji, Michael Rooker, Sean Gunn, and Pom Klementieff. Following the footsteps of other actors at the convention, such as Ewan McGregor and David Tennant, they all remained tight-lipped about strike-related issues. The actors strike has been ongoing for 94 days.
Instead of discussing work matters, Chris Evans talked about his dog, Dodger, his love for Halloween and Christmas, and his desire to return to Broadway.
“I’m looking for a play,” Evans revealed to the crowd. “I’d love to find something next year, but it’s tough because once you commit to a show, you’re in it for three, four, or five months. So, it has to be something you love and are ready to explore every night from different angles for a long time.”
In 2018, Evans starred in the Broadway revival of Kenneth Lonergan’s play, Lobby Hero. He played the role of a cop and shared the stage with Michael Cera, Bel Powley, and Brian Tyree Henry. The play revolves around a security guard in his late 20s (Cera), his strict supervisor (Henry), and an overbearing cop (Evans), along with his rookie female partner. The story is set in the lobby of a middle-income Manhattan apartment building in the middle of the night.
During the Guardians of the Galaxy session at New York Comic-Con, the emcee jokingly referred to the cast as “The Security Guards of the Milky Way.”
Amidst discussions about surviving in space, aromatherapy scents, and sleeping through alarms, the subject of Guardians of the Galaxy came up briefly.
Karen Gillian shared that it took four hours in the makeup chair every day for her transformation into the character Nebula. She also explained how she came up with Nebula’s unique voice.
“James Gunn told me to do a voice like Marilyn Monroe and Clint Eastwood,” Gillian explained.
Chukwudi Iwuji also talked about James Gunn, who offered him a role in Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 while they were working on Peacemaker for HBO Max.
“He approached me and said, ‘I don’t know what your schedule is, but I’d like you to play The High Evolutionary in Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3.’ It was strange showing up on set that first day, thinking, ‘Am I really doing this?’ and realizing they hadn’t fired me yet,” Iwuji shared.
Marvel Studios has stated that they were not involved in these actors’ appearances at NYCC.
The actors’ Comic-Con appearances came just three days after contract talks between AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA broke down. The guild, led by Fran Drescher, accused the studios of using “bully tactics” and a “failed strategy” to hinder negotiations, similar to what they attempted with the WGA. The two sides have been struggling to resolve issues related to SAG-AFTRA’s revenue-sharing proposal and the topic of artificial intelligence.
As with SDCC, SAG-AFTRA Chief Negotiator and National Executive Director attended NYCC to discuss industry challenges related to AI and its impact on actors. In an interview with Deadline, he praised the SAG-AFTRA interim agreement for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and criticized Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos for referring to the guild’s profit-sharing proposal as a “levy on subscribers.”
