‘Borat’ Breakout Maria Bakalova Set For Key Role In Marvel’s ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3’

EXCLUSIVE: Oscar nominee Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm) has joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a key role in Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3, we can reveal.

Filming recently wrapped on the anticipated threequel, which will star Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Sylvester Stallone, Karen Gillan, Elizabeth Debicki, Will Poulter, Chuk Iwuji. As we revealed last week, The Suicide Squad breakout Daniela Melchior has also joined cast.

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Director James Gunn recently teased the involvement of an “unannounced actor” in the film. That person isn’t Bakalova, we understand. Her role is being kept under wraps. In response to our story, Gunn just Tweeted that Bakalova is “incredible” in the project:

While the superhero pic’s plot has been kept under wraps, past installments have followed the half-human, half-alien Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord (Pratt), and his gang of intergalactic criminals as they fend off various threats to their universe. Vol. 3 is set to be the last in Gunn’s series of Guardians films.

Production on the Marvel movie kicked off in November of 2021. Exec producers are Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Nikolas Korda, Simon Hatt and Sara Smith. David J. Grant and Lars P. Winther are co-producers.

The first two films in the series—2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy and 2017’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2—collectively grossed more than $1.6BN worldwide. Vol. 3 is slated to open on May 5, 2023.

Rising Bulgarian actress Bakalova had her breakout when Sacha Baron Cohen cast her to play his daughter in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. The part would earn her strong notices and several accolades, including an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Upcoming projects include A24’s Bodies Bodies Bodies, which garnered good reviews at SXSW, and The Honeymoon, on which she is also a producer. Her previous credits include Judd Apatow’s pandemic film The Bubble and Women Do Cry, Last Call, Transgression, and The Father.

Bakalova is repped by CAA, Brookside Artist Management, and Insight Management & Production.

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