Karen Gillan found it ''scary'' when she first saw herself as Guardians of the Galaxy's Nebula.

The 26-year-old actress - who shaved her head for the part - will play the female villain in Marvel's big-budget superhero film, where she dons purple face paint and a black face-piece.

Gillan could believe what she was seeing when she saw herself in the mirror, dressed in character, for the first time.

Talking to collider.com: ''I couldn't believe it. I was like 'woah'. I'd seen mock up pictures and they'd done make-up tests on other people, so I had an idea. But, when I saw it on myself it was really scary.''

The make-up and costume helped Gillan get into character since she didn't feel like she was herself.

She added: ''It did half the job for me. I mean, having shaved my head and working out so much, I just felt like a different person so that really helped with the performance.''

She will star alongside Chris Pratt who will play the lead role of Peter Quill - otherwise known as the Star-Lord.