How Nathan Fillion Plays Wonder Man and Tony Stark in ‘Guardians Of the Galaxy 2’

Nathan Fillion was in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, even though you may have missed him. He played a blue alien who roughed up Chris Pratt in the space prison. But he’s getting a much bigger role in the sequel film, and some leaked set photographs suggest something potentially much larger.

Comicbook.com posted some photos today from the set of James Gunn’s latest entry in the franchise, and the reveal is pretty hilarious. Fillion is revealed as an actor from Earth, whose movies are being shown in a marathon session at a movie theater back home. Included in the photo set are a rom-com, a Toxic Avenger spoof, and even a poster showing Fillion as the lead in a Tony Stark biopic — designed to look like last year’s Steve Jobs.

Yes, Nathan Fillion is playing an actor who plays Tony Stark.

The real twist is that this actor’s name is Simon Williams, which deep-cut Marvel fans will know as the identity of Wonder Man. If you’re unfamiliar, that superhero starts as a super-villain who eventually joins the Avengers, and even becomes a burnt-out crimefighter who returns to civilian life as an actor. Hopefully this trajectory is reversed, and Williams the actor winds up joining the Avengers, because oh wow, do we need Nathan Fillion in that world full-time.

Imagine Nathan Fillion and Paul Rudd trading smug one-liners. Oh yeah. That’s the spot.