Kurt Russell Comments On His Character's Name

When news broke that Kurt Russell was shooting for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, fans went wild with their speculations. Netizens bounced back-and-forth about on which role the actor had nabbed, but no one expected Russell to be playing an actual living planet. Marvel Studios confirmed the actor was cast as Ego the Living Planet at San Diego Comic Con earlier this summer, and the actor is now commenting on his character's name.

During a recent interview with ComingSoon.net, the actor said he loved the absurd name his character holds. "It might be one of the best names of a character I've ever got a shot at," he joked when asked about Ego the Living Planet.

Of course, those words are really saying something because Russell has played his share of oddly named characters. Who can forget the time he played Morgan 'Two Persons' Bodeen or Snake Plissken? Crunch Calhoun and Mr. Nobody are two other strange names vying for an award, but it looks like Ego the Living Planet takes top prize for Russell.

If you're not familiar with Ego the Living Planet, then you should know the name very aptly describes the character. Created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, Ego appeared as a villain in the comics where he faced off against Thor, Nova, the Silver Surfer, and more. He is an actual living planet that comes complete with a brain and innards, and Ego wields some pretty gnarly psionic powers to boot. However, fans shouldn't expect to see Ego in his natural state in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - well, not for all of it at, at least.

At Comic Con, Marvel Studios unveiled footage of Russell as Ego. ComicBook.com's Lucas Siegel was lucky enough to see the clip and said the video showed Russell emerging from an egg-shaped pod. Ego then introduced himself to Peter and the other Guardians before he has a heart-to-heart with his son. In the scene, Russell's character explains he created a humanoid form to mirror mankind's appearance, and Ego even reveals he made himself a penis to go along with his body.

Fans were also teased at Comic Con and shown one of Ego's outfits in the film. The 'earthy' garb is a combination of loose fabric and a sandy color palette. Deceptively simple, the costume features a long cape and textured suede shirt adorned with shoulder pads. So, really, it's an ensemble fitting for any ancient intergalactic being who moonlights as a wayward planet.

During the interview, Russell reiterated how excited he is for fans to see the film. The actor said he had a lot of fun shooting and stressed that he "hold[s] high hopes for it."

As for whether Russell will return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 premieres, the actor is remaining mum. He recently spoke with Fandango and circled around the question before saying, "I don't know. I don't know if I fit into that mold."

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is written and directed by James Gunn and stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Sean Gunn, Glenn Close, Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, and Kurt Russell.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 comes out May 5, 2017.

[H/T] ComingSoon.net