Why Kurt Russell Isn't Even the Most Exciting Addition to the Guardians of the Galaxy Sequel

James Gunn finally confirmed the long-swirling rumor that Kurt Russell has joined the cast of the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy sequel. But Russell may not even be the most exciting new member of the cast. Up-and-comer Elizabeth Debicki—who has been a scene-stealing joy in The Great Gatsby, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and AMC’s The Night Manager—is the latest ferociously talented actress to join the Marvel universe.

Using one of his favorite modes of public communication, Facebook, Gunn seemed to wearily address the fact that the Russell cat has long been out of the bag. “My favorite movie as a small child was The Strongest Man in the World,” Gunn wrote, “so I’m glad to announce that, yes, Kurt Russell has joined our cast and, yes, he is more awesome a dude than I ever could have imagined.” There’s no official confirmation yet who Russell will be playing but most assume that Russell—the man who was once almost Han Solo—will appear as the father of Chris Pratt’s Star Lord—Marvel’s answer to Han Solo.

But as welcome an addition as Russell is, the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise wasn’t exactly lacking for wise-cracking male figures. Between Pratt and Bradley Cooper’sRocket Raccoon, Guardians has plenty of sarcastic wit to go around. Its female cast, however, left a few critics cold. But for those who felt Zoe Saldana’s Gamora and Karen Gillan’s Nebula lacked dimensionality, Debicki’s involvement is fantastic news. There’s no word yet whom Debicki will be playing, but as she ably proved this summer in the unevenMan from U.N.C.L.E., the actress is capable of adding depth to even the lightest material.

Gunn himself has acknowledged that there’s room for gender-balance improvement inGuardians. Last September, Gunn answered a fan’s request for more women:

And Debicki isn’t the only actress to join the cast, Gunn announced that actress Pom Klementieff will be playing a hero named Mantis who could—if comic-book history is any indication—join the Guardians team.

Back in 2014, Gunn said, “One of my true hopes is that we can have at least two women in the next iteration of the Guardians [team] whenever that may be whether it’s the next movie or the next one after that, that we can break this thing of having one women in every [Marvel movie].” With Klementieff’s Mantis potentially on Team Guardians with Gamora,Glenn Close returning as Nova Prime, and Gillan’s Nebula potentially somewhere in the middle, there’s room for Debicki to possibly step into the role of villain—something she did with gusto in Man from U.N.C.L.E.. Between Cate Blanchett possibly working her evil charms in three upcoming Avengers movies, Tilda Swinton’s morally fluid Doctor Strange character, and Debicki potentially menacing Pratt and company in Guardians, it’s a good time to be a stylish, accented villainess in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.