Elizabeth Debicki on joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe

IF YOU’RE a Melbourne girl who’s about to enter the crazy world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, who better to ask about it than Loki?

|Marvel's The Avengers| ..Loki (Tom Hiddleston)..Ph: Zade Rosenthal ..? 2011 MVLFFLLC. TM & ? 2011 Marvel. All R...

HOW does one prepare for the mania that follows being inducted into the Marvel world?

Because if you’re cast in a Marvel movie, it’s not just being part of a big blockbuster. You become part of a massive universe — the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in fact — and it comes preloaded with uber fans and huge exposure.

That’s the challenge facing Aussie actor Elizabeth Debicki, who’s playing a mysterious role in the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy 2.

Debicki, whose breakout role was in The Great Gatsby, has been steadily building a career across film, TV and theatre, including her most recent role as Jed in the acclaimed BBC series The Night Manager. And while she’s worked on high profile projects before (The Man From UNCLE), the recognition from a Marvel project can’t compare.

“I went to Comic Con as part of The Man From UNCLE and [co-star] Henry Cavill [Superman in DC’s film universe] was there with us,” she told news.com.au. “That was the first time that I understood how famous Henry Cavill was because that fanbase is obsessed. It was kind of amazing. We, the other actors, were on the periphery and just thought, ‘This is mad.’

“In terms of the fandom [that comes from being a part of Marvel], I think the best way to approach things is to not think about it and just let it happen and then deal with it when it happens.”

The first Guardians of the Galaxy cleared $US773 million at the box office.

For advice on entering the Marvel and comic blockbusters world, Debicki sought out her The Night Manager co-star, Tom Hiddleston. Hiddleston was relatively unknown before he snagged the role of Loki in 2011’s Thor. Now he’s an international superstar. He was also one of the first people Debicki called when she was cast in Guardians of the Galaxy 2.

“I knew he would be really chuffed about it,” she said. “We’d spoken about it and I was curious about what it was like to make those films.

“He’s so successful on those films because he, as Loki, manages to layer in so much complexity into that character — he brings a lot of emotional truth to it and that’s a testament to his capacity as an actor.”

Debicki said Hiddleston also talked her through what it was like to act in a less naturalistic setting. “I’d only worked with a green screen in Gatsby and that wasn’t action — it was really only so they could CGI buildings or something in. But working with a green screen is an art form and I remember Tom and I had a lot of conversations about it. So we discussed it on that basis and when I got the role, I called him and he was really excited,” she said.

This is Tom Hiddleston being excited.

Debicki, who’s sworn to secrecy about everything to do with the project, including the identity of the character she’s playing, has nothing but praise for James Gunn, the director who unexpectedly turned an obscure Marvel comic into a $US773 million blockbuster hit.

“He’s brilliant. What I love about him, and now that I know him, is that he’s totally making films to the beat of his own drum. Absolutely just making what he wants to make and I love that. And I think that’s what people respond to. He translated these brilliant characters and he created so much heart and depth in them, and the relationships are so heartwarming and funny. It’s kind of everything you want.”

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is due for release in May 2017.

The Night Manager is currently screening on Sunday nights at 8.30pm on BBC First on Foxtel and Fetch TV.

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