Borat 2 star Maria Bakalova will be featured in a role in the upcoming Marvel Studios sequel, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Bakalova is best known for her breakout performance in the 2020 sequel, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, in which she played the title character's daughter.
Before landing the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 role, Borat 2 breakout Bakalova has starred in Judd Apatow's Netflix pandemic comedy The Bubble as well as Women Do Cry, Last Call, Transgression, and The Father. She is also set to star in A24's upcoming film Bodies Bodies Bodies, which premiered this year at SXSW to rave reviews, and The Honeymoon, which she also serves as a producer on.
Deadline has confirmed that Bakalova will be playing a key role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. She joins fellow cast members Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Sylvester Stallone, Karen Gillan, Elizabeth Debicki, Will Poulter, Chukwudi Iwuji. It was also recently announced that The Suicide Squad actress and newcomer Daniela Melchior was cast in the film. Director James Gunn confirmed the news on Twitter, saying, "Yes yes yes, okay, I guess I should be surprised it took you guys this long to get this one. @MariaBakalova96 is incredible."
Her role is being kept under wraps at the moment, but Deadline has also reported that Bakalova is also not the mysterious "unannounced actor" that Gunn has previously teased. There are no plot details available at the moment, but Vol. 3 will be the third and possibly final film in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. The series focuses on a group of former intergalactic criminals who form a superhero team. The team has been featured in numerous MCU projects, including the first two Guardians of the Galaxy films, as well as Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. The Guardians will also be featured in a supporting role in the upcoming MCU film Thor: Love and Thunder, starring Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman.
In Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Bakalova plays the daughter of the titular character portrayed by British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. The film is a direct sequel to the first Borat movie and follows the fictional journalist from Kazakhstan and his 15-year-old daughter as they travel across America. Released in 2020 on Amazon Prime Video, the film received rave reviews from critics and audiences, especially for Bakalova's breakout performance. Bakalova even earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for the role.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to be released in theaters on May 5, 2023.
Source: Deadline