by Recorder Vin was portrayed by Miriam Shor in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, in the recently revealed MCU project, just explained why her villain decided to oppose her master.
The High Evolutionary Chukwuji Iwuji may have guided Vol. 3, but he wasn’t the only antagonist.
It takes a team, as the saying goes. For the High Evolutionary in this instance, the feeling was still valid. The main antagonist in the movie is almost always followed by his dependable group of advisors. Shor’s Vin counted himself as one of them.
While she helped Iwuji’s god-like villain do terrible deeds, there does come a point in Vol. 3 where she strives to overthrow her lord. But why now?
Recorder Vin’s Mindset (Miriam Shor)
The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 actress Miriam Shor, who played Recorder Vin in the film, discussed her character’s major plot twist in an exclusive interview with The Direct.
What specifically was Vin thinking when she tried to take Chukwudi Iwuji’s High Evolutionary in that fateful moment? Shor stated how she was “looking at what leads people” to “follow the worst people in the world:”
“So I think in that moment, I was sort of looking at what leads people, what allows people to follow the worst people in the world. What allows people to follow and do their bidding, the absolute worst? And because this isn’t a question only for like some far off universe that doesn’t exist. This is a question for the world we live in? How? How do people make themselves Okay, by following these, the worst people in the world right off the cliff.”
The actress continued by saying she doesn’t think Vin “has a plan,” but she did now see “the depth of the lunacy that’s happening:”
“And then inevitably, that moment, right before you fall off that cliff, you realize what’s happening. I mean, we’ve seen it with the leaders throughout history. And currently, you know, I’m kind of fascinated by that moment. And that happens for my character, this moment of like, really understanding the depth of the lunacy that’s happening. So I don’t think she has a plan, right? I think this is like, this is a do or die, literally do or die moment, and she makes the decision.”
Shor observes that from a practical standpoint, her treachery was more about fundamental survival than Vin “becoming a good guy in that moment”:
“What I love is the idea of like, what could that look like? You know, I think she thinks of herself as a scientist. I think she thinks of herself as someone who’s doing this. And again, this is not unrealistic. In the world. We live in someone who, who believes in—she’s a zealot, right? She believes in this. And so I don’t think she suddenly becomes a good guy in that moment. I think that moment is more about, ‘How do we preserve this thing that I valued?’ I thought we both valued… ‘How do we get out of this alive?’ but I would love to be like, and then she’s a hero!”
However, if her efforts were successful, what would she do? Vin, according to Shor, would have remained and carried on the task after recovering because she had always felt as though she “was doing the right thing:”
“Although *there might be some soul searching that had to happen right after that moment, because that’s an eye opening moment where you realize I’ve gone to the depths and there’s no going back so I think she would stay. I think she would recoup and I think she thought she was doing the right thing. But also, that’s how she was built. But I think this whole movie is [about] questioning your Creator and your creation and what you were you thought you were meant to do. So I do think that’s that moment for her she’s questioning that.”
She also humorously suggested that if things went her way, she might end up working for the Guardians.
The actresses’ favourite part was when Vin and the High Evolutionary faced off in the film’s climactic showdown:
“The climactic scene that my character has… James let us play… There were a couple of times where we did things like he was like, this is never going to make the movie keep going. It’s so fun.., we were chewing the scenery and having so much fun with the like, stakes of it, you know, at the end of the day, we just were like… sipping our tea and honey, and just being like, ‘that was the best.’”
Actors like Shor and Iwuji want the audience to feel that way about the scenario, and the actress expressed a great “[appreciation for] someone asking you to dig as deep as possible:”
“I mean, that’s what you want… if you’re the kind of actors that really appreciate someone asking you to dig as deep as possible, which we are, and you know, and then with someone like Chuck, you can’t really ask for a better scene partner, you really can’t.”
However, how long precisely did Recorder Vin work for The High Evolutionary? Although Shor lacks a precise timeframe, she surmises that it was “aeons:”
“I mean, eons… know, worlds were created and destroyed. Whole worlds were created and destroyed. I think it’s longer than humans can imagine. Because we’re talking about creation and destruction multiple times, you know, whole worlds, whole areas of the universe… And this is where the makeup is kind of great…”
The actress also drew attention to her makeup, remarking that as time passes and the plot alternates between flashbacks and present-day narration, there is obvious wear and tear:
“But what’s great about the makeup, is that you there is a difference between when you see them earlier, and you see them later. There’s wear and tear, you know, those recording devices that are in their heads that are recording every single little thing, and you think about, like, how they get refurbished and redone and the upkeep. At what point did they break down? But it’s been quite a long time. I don’t have an exact answer. But in my mind, it was eons… it’s not like they’re good friends… She’s standing up to her creator. I mean, that’s the scariest thing you can do.”
Miriam Shor’s time in the MCU may have been limited, but she will next be seen in Bradley Cooper’s Maestro later this year.
Bradley Cooper is “just a gem of a human,” said Shor of the project, adding that her experience working on it “was amazing.”
“Well, [Bradley Cooper] plays Leonard Bernstein. I play Cindy O’Neil, who was a very good friend of the Bernstein’s especially at least, Leonard Bernstein’s wife. And Bradley Cooper is just a gem of a human, but he’s also like an immense creative talent and watching him create that piece. Direct it, write it, star in it. I mean, and then he, there were days where I was like, being directed by Leonard Berstein. It was amazing. So that was quite the experience. I’m like, I apparently I only work with Bradley now. And only when he’s like, either. unrecognizable is like a space raccoon or musical genius.”
Vin’s Never-To-Be Future in the MCU
It is difficult to fathom how Recorder Vin anticipated her pivotal confrontation would play out. She was well aware of the High Evolutionary’s might and that the likelihood of her actually ousting him was quite slim.
Maybe she just didn’t give a damn. She felt compelled to act after observing his descent into madness and obsession.
As was already noted, a What If…? episode featuring the timeline in which Recorder Vin was successful would be fantastic. Would she err on the side of goodness or keep on the dark road Vin was already so accustomed to?
Sadly, viewers will probably never find out.
Currently showing in theatres all throughout the world is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.
