It might not have been her first film, but Maria Bakalova certainly broke out in a big way with Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. Since then, she's popped up in The Bubble and Women Do Cry and somehow managed to shoot what is being described as a "key role" in Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3.
While writer/director James Gunn has confirmed Bakalova's presence in the movie (see his enthusiastic tweet below), he's not letting slip any details of how she factors into the movie, which wrapped shooting relatively recently.
And Bakalova isn't the only recruit whose presence has become known after the movie wrapped – The Suicide Squad's Daniela Melchior also landed a part, reuniting with Gunn for a role in his latest MCU entry. Oh, and there's still at least one more "unannounced actor" to be revealed.
Beyond the return of the core Guardians cast, we do know that Vol. 3 will also feature Adam Warlock, played by Will Poulter, and a character played by Chukwudi Iwuji, who worked with Gunn on TV's Peacemaker. Returning from previous GOTG movies are the likes of Elizabeth Debicki, Sylvester Stallone and Stephen Blackehart, who played Brahl in the second film.
At the same time as the new main movie, Gunn has shot the Disney+-aimed Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special, which will have connective story tissue with the films and precede Vol. 3.
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 will be out on 3 May next year, with the holiday special due this December. Bakalova, meanwhile, next has horror thriller Bodies Bodies Bodies due out (in the US so far) on 5 August.