Fans will recall last year when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was in production that set photos revealed a cameo by Nathan Fillion for the film, featuring the friend of the director as actor-turned-superhero Simon Williams on a series of movie posters. After piling out of the theater to see the finished product though, Fillion was nowhere to be seen in the movie. Now, Gunn has taken to Facebook to elaborate on his absence and to begin showing off those fabled Simon Williams movie posters.
“(Nathan’s) been in every movie I’ve directed – even as a monstrous, perverted voice in Guardians of the Galaxy. I didn’t have a good cameo for him in Vol. 2 – and I wanted to bring him more fully into the MCU at some point, so I didn’t want to make him Aakon Guard #2, narrowing his chance of a more substantial role in the future. I really do love the character of Simon Williams/Wonder Man in the comics – a sometimes douchey actor/superhero – and could see Nathan clearly in that role (not because he’s a douchebag but because he’s great at playing one).
“But, of course, in a movie set 99.9% in space I didn’t really have a place for him. So in a small flash to earth I decided to put a theater playing a “Simon Williams Film Festival,” with six Simon Williams movie posters outside. Obviously, from the posters, he’s had a run of B movies. Most of them in themselves are Easter eggs of some sort or another. Unfortunately, the small section of the scene where they appeared slowed down the movie and I had to cut the Easter eggs from the film (along with storefronts named after comic book luminaries Starlin, Mantlos, Annett and others).
“So that’s the full story. Nathan’s only cameo in the movie ever were these posters. I’ll post them all over the next few days. And, yes, I think we can consider them canon for the MCU, and I hold onto hope that Simon Williams will rise again!!”
You can check out the first poster featuring Fillion as Williams as Tony Stark below!
Now playing in theaters, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 has already brought in $630 million worldwide. It stars Chris Pratt as Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax, Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot, Bradley Cooper as the voice of Rocket, Michael Rooker as Yondu, Karen Gillan as Nebula, and Sean Gunn as Kraglin. New cast members include Pom Klementieff, who plays Mantis, Elizabeth Debicki as Aesha, Chris Sullivan as Taserface and Kurt Russell as Ego, the Living Planet.
