James Gunn set the record straight on the rumors that Lady Gaga joined the MCU in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
For those with a good eye, one might have noticed a quick shot in the recent trailer that included a walking otter hugging Rocket. This figure is none other than Lylla, a love interest for Bradley Cooper’s character and someone fans had been hoping to see for a long while.
Not long after she was unveiled, rumors started swirling about who might be playing her: Lady Gaga. The pairing instantly picked up steam, likely because the last time Bradley Cooper and the musician were love interests for one another, it was for the highly acclaimed movie A Star is Born.
With those rumors out in the wild, Gunn clarified the situation.
Is Lady Gaga Lylla in Guardians Volume 3?
On Instagram, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 director James Gunn cleared the air about whether famous musician and actress Lady Gaga would be playing the role of Lylla in the upcoming threequel.
In response to a fan when asked if the otter character’s actress’ name started with a “Ga” and ended with a “Ga,” Gunn stated: “it does not.”
The character’s introduction comes in the film that the director has claimed is about Bradley Cooper’s Rocket Raccoon.
Previously, Gunn confirmed to Collider that Rocket’s the reason “[he] needed to finish“ the series and how “[he] love[s] the character of Rocket more than any character [he’s] dealt with before:”
“The reason why I needed to finish this is because I love the character of Rocket more thn any character I’ve ever dealt with before, and I needed to finish his story and that it what Volume 3 is about. I absolutely needed to do it, and I think we’ve done it in a spectacular way that I can’t wait for people to see.”
In a separate interview with Entertainment Weekly, the director elaborated that Rocket is “what started [him] him on this journey:
“… I have a special closeness to the character of Rocket, and I knew I needed to finish telling his story. I knew that that was what started me on this journey, was seeing who he could be and who he was, where he came from. And the thing that grounded me initially in the Guardians…”
Lylla won’t be the only animal companion joining Rocket this time around. As first introduced in The Holiday Special, Cosmo the Russian space dog will also be a part of Vol. 3. The telepathic canine is brought to life by Borat 2’s Maria Bakalova, who also starred in the recent horror film Bodies Bodies Bodies.
Who Is Voicing Lylla in New Guardians of the Galaxy Movie?
If true, Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga won’t be reuniting on the big screen for the MCU. She could have been an exciting choice for the character. Maybe she’s too busy preparing for her role in Joker 2?
But who else might be voicing Lylla? It could be anyone—so it’s hard to narrow the possibilities down.
Whoever it is, they’ll have to live up to Cooper’s performance as Rocket.
Fingers crossed that the character sticks around after Vol. 3. It would be a shame for Marvel Studios to introduce the new character only to off her in their big debut.
At least there’ll always be Cosmo—hopefully.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters worldwide on May 5, 2023.
