Many may not be aware of this, but Marvel star Karen Gillan had a small role to play in the horror slasher film X. The film, directed by Ti West and starring Mia Goth, was met with critical acclaim but left a few wondering why it featured a special thanks to Gillan. Well, one individual seems to have gotten to the bottom of it during the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 press junket.
Gillan is not featured on the cast or IMDB page for the film, but she does have a tiny role to play nonetheless. Eric Goldman, managing editor for the Fandom website and host of We Enjoy podcast had been wondering what her involvement with the film was, having been unable to spot her in it at any point. Back in 2022, Goldman had interviewed West and asked him why Gillan has a Special Thanks accredited to her in the movie, with West responding “She has a hidden cameo in the movie.”
So when the opportunity came, over a year later, to ask Gillan herself what her cameo was he took it.
The actress has the briefest of voice acting roles, playing the voice of a radio advertisement. The reason that Gillan was likely brought in for this tiny role and agreed to do it is that she had worked with the director before in the 2016 Western film, In a Valley of Violence. The film starred Gillan alongside Ethan Hawke and John Travolta and earned critical praise for West, though the film was a commercial flop.
It is not uncommon for actors to take on these smaller roles to help out a director or professional friend they have worked with before. With the X franchise having grown with the critically acclaimed addition of Pearl and now the upcoming addition of MaXXXine, we wonder if Gillan will make an appearance once more, even if only as a disembodied voice.
