See the Cast of 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' In and Out of Costume

The Guardians of the Galaxy franchise has been known for elaborate prosthetics, face paint and alien creatures since the first film was released in 2014 — even earning an Oscar nod for best makeup and hairstyling that year. Take a look at the actors' transformations (and find out just how long they had to sit in the makeup chair)

Chris Pratt as Peter Quill

Chris Pratt plays Peter Quill, also known as Star-Lord, in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. Unlike like the rest of his castmates, the actor's costume and makeup is minimal — with one key exception.

"We did accentuate a little bit," the film's hair and makeup artist Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou told The Hollywood Reporter of the abs — defined with some spray-tan magic — the actor reveals in his shirtless scenes. "We could tan him up and accentuate and highlight."

Zoë Saldaña as Gamora

Zoë Saldaña plays Gamora in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise – who in comparison to Pratt, underwent an extreme makeover to get into her green-skinned character.

Her getting-ready process (which began at 3:30 a.m.) took several hours to complete. The prosthetic application process alone took between two and three hours, while its removal took between 30 to 45 minutes.

In the 2014 film, special effects makeup artist David White told Allure that Saldaña spent around four to five hours in hair and makeup to transform into her Gamora character.

"It's all Zoë, although she is wearing a few prosthetic pieces made from encapsulated silicone," White told the outlet. "Her forehead is a prosthetic that I sculpted to create a new shadow line where her eyebrows once were. And her cheeks are prosthetics, too."

Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer

Dave Bautista plays Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, a character that required some serious commitment from the outset.

For starters, Bautista had to abide by a strict diet and extreme gym regimen to sculpt his shredded superhero physique — a task that wasn't much of an ask for the actor who doubles as a professional wrestler.

Fitness aside, Bautista had a team of five makeup artists working on him for five hours each day to apply 18 prosthetic pieces, according to Marvel Studios.

Makeup artist White told Business Insider that Bautista spent more time in costume and makeup than any other cast member in the Guardians films.

Karen Gillan as Nebula

Karen Gillan plays Nebula in the Guardians of the Galaxy films, a blue villain and assassin whose prosthetic makeup was the "most complex and interesting" to apply, according to White.

The makeup artist told Business Insider that it took a little over four hours to apply her make-up and another 30 minutes to remove it.

Even more dramatic than that? Gillian shaved off her long red hair to prepare to play the bald character.

Pom Klementieff as Mantis

Pom Klementieff plays Mantis in Guardians of the Galaxy, an alien-like character known for her bug eyes, antennae and the ability to sense others' feelings from touch.

Although Klementieff didn't require as much time in the makeup chair in comparison to some of her costars, she still spent around two to three hours getting ready.

While Mantis is a combination of both practical effects and CGI, Klementieff told Metro that her empath character required "a lot of beauty make up."

Between different wigs and contact lenses, the actress said they "tried a lot of stuff." However, she said they "decided to go for something a little more human... black eyes that make me look like a bug but at the same time something you can still connect to."

Vin Diesel as Groot

Vin Diesel plays Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy, a plant-like CGI character that allowed the actor to come to set in his regular clothes.

"You don't have to worry about the washboard abs," Diesel told Entertainment Tonight of his computer-assisted transformation into Groot.

One area in which he didn't need much computer assistance? Groot's speaking voice! Diesel's line readings ended up needing very little computer processing.

Bradley Cooper as Rocket

Bradley Cooper voices Rocket in Guardians of the Galaxy — another actor who got to avoid hours in the makeup chair thanks to movie magic.

That meant Cooper could focus more on his voice acting; he told Ellen DeGeneres he was going for a "Gilbert Gottfried meets Joe Pesci" type of voice.

Something about his performance must have translated onscreen, though: "I look at him now and I'm like, 'Yeah, it's me!'" he told DeGeneres.

Sean Gunn as Kraglin Obfonteri

Sean Gunn (brother of the film's director James Gunn) did double duty on set, playing the physical character of Kraglin Obfonteri, as well as serving as the motion-capture actor for Rocket.

While Cooper voices the talking raccoon, Gunn's actions served as a reference point so that visual effects artists know where Rocket is at all times. His real-life movements made it easier for actors to interact with the animal character while filming.

His on-camera role as Kraglin also is not super prosthetics-heavy.

"What Michael Rooker and Dave and Karen and Zoe and Sully go through every day is just so intense. So I was very glad that [James Gunn] let me play a humanoid character in this movie," the actor told Mamas Geeky.

Will Poulter as Adam Warlock

Will Poulter plays Adam Warlock in Guardians of the Galaxy, joining the talented cast for his big debut in the final film of the MCU franchise.

While details on his getting-ready process have yet to be revealed, Poulter told The Hollywood Reporter that "hours" and "months" went into the preparation of the costume, makeup and the hair.

"I can't really take any credit for looking cool," he said, joking, "I just kind of turned up and did my thing after that."

Chukwudi Iwuji as High Evolutionary

Chukwudi Iwuji plays High Evolutionary in Guardians of the Galaxy, a villainous role that marks the actor's MCU debut.

Similar to Poulter, few details on his character's preparation process have been revealed — however, first looks suggest that special effects and CGI were used.

Overall, Iwuji told Extra that his role as High Evolutionary "fit like a glove."

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